Current UCUI
68/100
Moderate-High Uncertainty
+4 points from prior reading
Potato Market Intelligence
Usda Potato Prices
USDA potato prices are official series with defined geography, market stage, period, product scope, unit, and publication timing. MassGain preserves those definitions and compares the series with regional physical markets and contracts so procurement, growers, and lenders can use the public benchmark without applying a broad or lagged value to the wrong exposure.
Market Data
How to read this market
USDA potato prices are official price series with specific geography, market stage, period, product scope, unit, and publication timing. A series can represent farm-level, season-average, or other defined values and should be used only when its definition matches the decision.
Use USDA prices as a public benchmark and historical reference, then compare them with current physical-market, regional, contract, and delivered prices. This prevents a broad or lagged official series from being treated as a current supplier quote.
Data Module
USDA potato price context
Seriesofficial USDA price measure
Geographynational, state, or regional scope
Market stagefarm or other defined level
Periodmonthly, seasonal, or annual basis
Unitofficial reported measure
Decision usepublic benchmark and historical comparison
Analysis
Why this matters
Official data is credible, but relevance depends on definition. A season-average farm price can be useful for long-run grower analysis while being a poor benchmark for a current processing contract or delivered foodservice product.
The analytical discipline is to treat USDA series as one layer in the market stack. Where timing, region, variety, or channel differ, basis can be substantial. A matched local benchmark should carry more weight for a near-term commercial decision than a broader official average.
Signal 01
Usable Crop Uncertainty Index
UCUI translates crop and market complexity into a simple uncertainty signal. Higher readings indicate greater uncertainty—not necessarily higher prices.
Understand uncertainty. Anticipate risk. Act earlier.
UCUI is designed to analyze potato-industry publications and data signals across regions, varieties, weather, disease, storage, supply, and demand.
WeatherHigh
DiseaseHigh
StorageMedium
SupplyMedium
Single-day snapshot based on a scan of 11,500+ web and social signals. Get historical and real-time data by clicking the button below.
The MassGain Daily
Today’s market analysis.
A daily editorial synthesis of physical potato data, crop signals, market reporting, and what participants should watch next.
September 16, 2026Latest MassGain publication
Potato market steady for now; Russia’s smaller crop is the salient risk
Spot prices are flat and USDA terminal reports read ‘market steady,’ but a renewed forecast for a smaller Russian harvest and recent regional harvest stress leave seasonal import timing and storage losses as the key uncertainty.
Signal 02
MassGain Potato Index
Independent physical-pricing intelligence and market-trend analysis for procurement, forecasting, contracting, and scenario planning.
Core Russet Carton Median
312.45 USD/MT
Latest qualifying physical-market observation
+4.75 (+1.55%)
Price discovery for the physical potato market
MPI is designed to track physical pricing data, price trends, deltas, and divergences across regions and potato types.
Series window45 days
Current public coverageCore russet cartons
Primary source basisQualifying USDA physical rows
UnitUSD per metric tonne
Single-day snapshot based on most recent 45 days worth of data. Limited to US Russets only. Get more complete, global data about all varieties by clicking the button below.
Signal 03
MassGain Spot Reference
An independent spot reference designed for price discovery, contract discussions, procurement comparisons, and risk modeling.
Russet Burbank — U.S. Midsize
305 USD/MT
Demonstration reference format
+1.6% WoW · Confidence: High
A trusted benchmark for pricing, contracts, and risk
MSR is intended to use real transactions and verifiable physical-market data to support negotiations, price checks, contracting, and risk models.
ProductRusset Burbank
SpecificationU.S. midsize, 40–70 count
Reference typePhysical spot benchmark
StatusIn development
Based on most recent 45 days worth of data. Limited to US Russets only. Get more complete, global data about all varities by clicking the button below. Full access also includes historical data -- including depreciated NYMEX/CBOE/EEX spot references -- projections, trends, and AI-driven insights.
The MassGain Product Ladder
From insight to intelligence to action
Four integrated products built for the physical potato market, delivered through public pages, reports, exports, dashboards, and API access.
1
Content
Original research, commentary, aggregated news, and market updates.
- What matters right now?
- What is happening out there?
2
UCUI™
Usable Crop Uncertainty Index: an AI-powered signal of crop risk and market uncertainty.
- Understand uncertainty
- Anticipate risk
- Act earlier
3
MPI™
MassGain Potato Index: independent physical-pricing intelligence and trend analysis.
- Price discovery
- Regional trends
- Procurement planning
4
MSR™
MassGain Spot Reference: an independent benchmark for price discovery and risk modeling.
- Contracts
- Negotiations
- Risk models
Content + UCUI + MPI + MSR + API access
Get historical series, regional detail, constituent data, exports, alerts, and direct data access.
Overview
Who is this for?
This page is for growers, processors, procurement teams, lenders, analysts, and government-data users that need to interpret USDA potato prices. MassGain organizes relevant USDA series by geography, market stage, crop period, unit, product or use category, publication date, and revision status, then compares them with regional physical-market evidence.
USDA data provides a credible public benchmark, but the correct series must match the decision. A season-average farm price may not represent a current processing contract, a shipping-point quote, or a delivered wholesale cost. MassGain helps users identify the definition and timing of each price, compare it with historical ranges, and understand where private contracts, quality, freight, storage, or market channel create differences. Procurement teams can use the data as an external reference, growers for marketing and financial review, and lenders for borrower assumptions or collateral analysis. The result is a disciplined USDA price view that preserves official methodology while preventing a broad or lagged statistic from being applied mechanically to a specific commercial exposure.
Use Case
A lender reviews a grower budget based on a USDA season-average potato price. MassGain shows that the borrower sells a specialized processing variety under regional contracts whose historical relationship with the national series is weak. The lender uses the USDA value as broad context but stresses cash flow with the matched regional benchmark.
FAQs
What do USDA potato prices represent?
They represent defined official price series with specific geography, market stage, period, unit, and product scope.
Can a USDA price equal a current supplier quote?
Not necessarily, because publication timing, contracts, quality, freight, and market channel may differ.
How does MassGain apply USDA prices responsibly?
It preserves the official definition and compares the series with matched regional and commercial market evidence.
Put this market intelligence to work
Get historical data, regional detail, benchmarks, alerts, exports, and API access tailored to your procurement
and market-analysis needs.
Data and Methodology
Professional market-data standards
MassGain is building transparent public market infrastructure. Each live metric will identify its date, unit, coverage, methodology, and source basis.
Data provenance
MassGain uses public, licensed, contributed, and independently derived physical-market information. Source availability and publication schedules vary.
Timing and revisions
Figures may reflect the latest available observation rather than a same-day transaction. Source data and MassGain calculations may be corrected, restated, or revised.
Not transactional pricing
MassGain figures are informational reference values and do not constitute executable bids, offers, settlements, or guarantees that a transaction can occur at the displayed value.
No individualized advice
Content and data are provided for informational and analytical purposes and do not constitute financial, investment, legal, trading, or individualized procurement advice.
Independent publication
Certain observations may be derived from USDA reports. MassGain is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USDA.
Commercial use and licensing
Public display does not grant rights to reproduce, redistribute, republish, or incorporate MassGain indices or references into commercial products or contracts without authorization.