Freshness, quality and price continue to be most important purchase drivers when buying produce
RPE is well positioned in 2023 to continue to support our customers/consumers with Fresh, High Quality Potatoes at Competitive Prices leveraging our strategic sourcing solutions
Produce Purchase Factors - 2022
Which of the following are most important to you when buying produce?
Potato Market Update
Russet potato demand has gone unchanged. The market saw a little surge due to the Easter holiday. Idaho growers continue to ship very slowly to match their inventory. Colorado and Wisconsin growers appear content that their remaining supplies will make it until new crop russet potatoes are available in late July/early August. Pricing continues to inch higher throughout the country on all potato sizes.
Storage crop yellow potatoes are winding down in North Dakota, Minnesota, and Colorado. Growers from Idaho and Canada will continue shipping storage crop until early to mid-June. New yellow potatoes are available from Florida growers at a little higher cost than the current storage crop. Storage crop pricing is inching more elevated as the number of available shippers decreases.
Growers in Michigan and Maine are nearly finished with their storage crop white potatoes. The majority of the product remains close to their shipping regions. New crop white potatoes are available from growers in Florida, with most of that crop remaining in the southeast. Pricing remains unchanged.
Limited storage crop fingerling potatoes are available from growers in Colorado and Idaho. Pricing is above average due to the extremely low inventory. Growers in California anticipate bringing new crop in mid to late May. Pricing will be higher than usual until then.
Planting is underway across the country. Kansas growers have completed their planting, and Texas growers are underway. Growers in Wisconsin are expected to start their planting season on April 10. Growers in North Dakota have ample supplies of red into June/July.
Onion Market Update
New crop onions are now available from growers in Texas and Mexico. Growers in the Northwest still have storage crop onions available as well, with excellent quality. The overall market is steady, with little to no price changes for this week.
A new crop of California onions will start up in the Imperial Valley at the end of this month.
Planting has started in the Columbia Basin for onion growers – the weather has been a bit cool, but overall no concerns.
