The Dutch potato export season may have begun with high prices, but those have since all but halved. "Compared to early in the season, prices have dropped significantly and, though stabler, are gradually declining. The season began at €0.50, but bale prices are now at around €0.26," says William Westhoeve of Westhoeve Potatoes, a Dutch company that does only potato exports.
"Everything's going very normally, with no major outliers. The destinations are all participating a little. We currently export potatoes primarily to the Caribbean region, and places like Guyana, Trinidad, Curaçao, and Suriname are placing orders. Senegal is still participating, too."
"And some potatoes are still going to Mali, Congo, and Burkina Faso," William explains, "but those are all 'minor destinations'. There aren't any big orders yet, and the season should keep plodding along. It might pick up slightly, but I doubt we'll be running double volumes in a few weeks."
"Quality-wise, things are as expected too. At the beginning of the season, many batches had flaky skins; since it's colder, we're past that. There's also the occasional rot, but that's not too bad either. It's all very typical," William concludes.
For more information:
William Westhoeve
Westhoeve Potatoes
42 Hofdijksweg
3253 KB, Ouddorp, NL
Tel: +31 (0) 187 683 137
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.westhoevepotatoes.nl