1. Potato Grading • History • Purpose • Standards by use Fresh, Process, Seed • Grades U.S. No 1, U.S. No 2, etc. • How grade affects price

2. History of Grade Standards • Field run markets • Company or self-imposed standards • Emergence of Market Orders • National standards USDA Inspection Service State Department of Agriculture

3. Purpose of grading to a standard • Establishing raw product value • Ensuring potato quality • Determining crop loss • Determining treatment differences in research

4. Grade Determinations • Specifications Standards of determination for the grade categorization of individual tubers • Tolerances Standards of determination for the grade categorization of potato lots

5. Fresh Potato Standards Includes Specificationsand Tolerances for: • Size • General appearance • Skinning • Cleanliness • Damage • Defects

6. Processing Potato Standards Includes Specificationsand Tolerances for: • Size • Firmness • Shape • Freezing injury and rot • Cleanliness and foreign material • Damage • Defects • Optional for specific gravity and fry color

7. Seed Potato Standards Includes Specificationsand Tolerances for: • Minimum and maximum size • Shape • Freezing injury and rot • Bacterial ringrot, nematode, tuber moth • Damage • Defects • Blackheart

8. Potato Grades • Fresh Potatoes U.S. No. 1 U.S. No. 2 U.S. Commercial • Processing Potatoes U.S. No. 1 Processing U.S. No. 2 Processing • Seed Potatoes U.S. No. 1 Seed Potatoes (blue tag) U.S. No. 2 Seed Potatoes (yellow tag)

9. Fresh Grade Specifications Requirement U.S. No. 1 U.S. No. 2 Size >1 7/8 >1 ½ Shape Fairly well Not serious Skinning Mature N/A Cleanliness Fairly N/A Damage Free Free Defects Free Freeof severe

17. Fresh Grade Size Specifications Category Minimum Maximum Size A 1 7/8 in NR Size B 1 ½ in 2 ¼ in 60 count 10 oz 16 oz 70 count 9 oz 15 oz 80 count 8 oz 13 oz 100 count 6 oz 10 oz

18. Fresh Grade Tolerances Tolerance U.S. No. 1 U.S. No. 2 External defects 5% 6% Internal defects 5% 6% Frozen/rot comb. 3% 3% Undersize 3% 3% Oversize 10% 10%

19. Process Grade Specifications Requirement U.S. No. 1 U.S. No. 2 Size 4 oz or 1 7/8” 4 oz or 1 7/8” Firmness Moderately Moderately Shape Fairly well Not serious Foreign material Free Free Freez. injury/Rot Free Free Damage/Defects Free Free of serious

20. Process Grade Tolerances Tolerance U.S. No. 1 U.S. No. 2 Serious damage 5% 5% Freeze injury 2% 2% Rot 2% 2% Foreign material 1% 1% Undersize 3% 3% Oversize 10% 10%

21. Seed Grade Specifications Requirement U.S. No. 1 U.S. No. 2 Size 1½ in-12 oz 1 ½ in-12 oz Shape Fairly well Not serious Freez. injury/Rot Free Free Ringrot, nematode Free Free Damage/Defects Free Free of severe

22. Seed Grade Tolerances Tolerance U.S. No. 1 Undersize 3% Oversize 10% External defects 6% Internal defects 5% Ringrot, nematode 0% Late blight rot 1% Variety mix 0.25% Frozen/Rot 0.50%

23. Grading/Inspection ProcessFresh Potatoes • Raw product delivery ----sampling and inspection if needed • Grading/Packaging ----sampling and inspection • Market delivery ----inspection on demand

29. How does grade impact grower returns?

30. Paid Yield = Incentive Based Yield + Process Cull Yield • Incentive Based Yield = US No 1 + US No 2 • Process Cull Yield = Malformed + less than 17/8” tubers Processing Contract • Field Run Yield = 500 cwt/ac • 65% US No 1 + 20% US No 2 (500 x 0.85 = 425 cwt/ac) • 15% Process Culls (500 x 0.15 = 75 cwt/ac)

31. Process Culls = $2.50/cwt x 75cwt/ac = $187.00/ac What are the potatoes worth? • Incentive Adjusted Price = Base Price +/- incentives for grade, size specific gravity, bruise, fry quality, etc. • Base price = $6.50/cwt x 425 cwt/ac = $2,762.50/ac • Grade incentive = $.015 per cwt for each % above 60% (65% = $0.075 per cwt x 425 cwt/ac = $31.88/ac) • Size incentive = $.015 per cwt for each % above 50% (70% = $0.30 per cwt x 425 cwt/ac = $127.50/ac) • Bruise incentive = $.020 per cwt for each % above 60% (85% = $0.50 per cwt x 425 cwt/ac = $212.50/ac) Answer = $187.00 + $2762.50 + $31.88 + $127.50 + $212.50 = $3321.38 per acre!