Walloon potato industry organization FIWAP and the PCA (Interprovinciaal Proefcentrum voor de Aardappelteelt) have reported that the potato harvest in Europe has been slow and laborious over the past week.
The tubers are colder than usual and therefore more difficult to dry. In Belgium, 15-20% of the area remains to be harvested. Abroad, estimates vary from 25% in the Netherlands, 15% in the Nord/Pas-de-Calais region of France, 10-15% in western and northwestern Germany, and 20% in the United Kingdom, mainly in the east and north.
Regarding trends in the sector: following the MARS project’s estimation the average potato yield in EU was 35.10 t/ha, slightly lower than last season, but 1.00 t/ha higher than the five-year average of 34.10 t/ha. The estimated yield for Belgium is 40.0 t/ha. On the futures market, potato prices remained stable. On the physical markets, prices varied between regions and varieties.
In Belgium, processors are not very active in buying on the open market. Intermediaries are a little more active, looking for dry lots ex-shed. Prices up to €15.00/q are being offered for reliable export lots. In the Netherlands, there were mixed market signals last week. For the first time in a long time, the NAO did not rate industrial categories due to a lack of agreement between the parties. Tension is clearly building in the market with the delay in the harvest and unfavorable weather forecasts in the short term.
In France, the harvest is dragging on in Nord/Pas-de-Calais and Normandy, where approximately 15% of the crop remains to be harvested. The industry is not buying more than is provided for in previous contracts and price quotations are little changed.
Source: potatonewstoday.com