"There will be more visibility and certainty about quality in 1 or 2 months"

Harvesting being almost complete, Francisco Moya, managing director of the Vitalis network, gives an outlook of the potato season.

Capricious and wet weather
"The capricious, wet weather since the end of summer has changed the view we had before Potato Europe (which took place on September 11th and 12th). Since then, availability in terms of volume has deteriorated. We should not generalize, but it does not look like today's harvest will be as plentiful as the initial forecasts. But it is hard to tell until harvesting is completely over," explains Francisco Moya.

While volumes are becoming clearer, quality is now uncertain. "Given the humidity, there will be questions about the long-term storage of certain batches and possible quality problems for the late grubbings, but it is still too early to tell. We should have better visibility in 1 or 2 months."

Francisco Moya

A dynamic market in France and abroad
Regarding the market, there is no cause for concern. "It is a rather favourable period and sales are good. Overall, the demand is higher than at the same time last year, and is certainly more attractive due to lower prices. In terms of outlets and dynamism, the market seems to be doing rather well in France and in exports, with quite a few countries present. The major markets such as Spain, Italy and Portugal are doing very well. Eastern European (namely Hungary, Slovakia and Romania) are also doing well. The demand was even observed earlier for certain markets.

"Few products have this Eldorado image"
"The demand for potatoes in general is promising in France. The product is very well received by consumers and is selling very well," explains Francisco Moya. "There is a real craze on social media surrounding potatoes Made in France! Not a week goes by without a TV report on French potatoes and the clear need to increase the number of hectares to meet the needs of manufacturers. The sector is expanding both in France (with the opening of new factories) and internationally. Few products have this Eldorado image," according to Francisco Moya, who stresses the importance of communication within the sector and urges moderation. "We must not get ahead of ourselves. This growth needs to be controlled in order to maintain a certain balance. We must not confuse the market at a given moment with the long-term market outlook." Last month, faced with a rapid expansion of surface areas, UNPT called for " prudence and strategic thinking in order to ensure controlled development."