Although the presence of early ware potatoes expanded, the offerings were only able to generate limited interest due to their high prices. Meanwhile, domestic offerings dominated the market and were consistently convincing in terms of quality. According to the BLE, imports from France, the Netherlands and Italy were only of a supplementary nature. Interest was satisfied without any effort and prices remained mostly constant.
For the second month in a row, demand for organic potatoes in October was lower than in the same month last year. The analysis by Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft (AMI) of the data from the household panel of the Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung (GfK) shows a drop of 18.7 percent for the tenth month of the year.
Rhineland-Palatinate:
There are signs of an upturn in demand on the potato market in the run-up to the holidays. The price level is also high in the retail sector, with lower prices only being granted as part of isolated promotions. Supply is sufficient. Despite pre-sorting, sorting waste at packing plants remains high. Nationally, there are reports of numerous stocks that could no longer be harvested. The European harvest volume could be reduced by around 10 % as a result.
Schleswig-Holstein:
Potato demand has picked up noticeably thanks to the Christmas business. Wholesale business has picked up. Hardly any goods from temporary warehouses are being offered. The market is being supplied with goods in stock. The lower price range has been raised accordingly. However, goods from storage areas that are not frost-proof are still being sold nationwide. Loading and transportation have become somewhat easier again since the end of the frost period. Despite the problems with harvesting the remaining quantities of industrial goods and the high level of sorting of stored goods, wholesale potato prices are expected to remain unchanged for the time being.
Lower Saxony:
The upcoming holidays have boosted sales of ware potatoes. Demand was brisk and could still be met, according to BVNON.
NRW:
When planning cultivation in 2024, the focus is on the availability of seed potatoes. There will be less availability in all processing directions. On the industrial market, the potatoes still to be harvested, especially in Belgium and the Netherlands, remain the relevant issue.
Hesse:
In the state of Hesse, there were no price adjustments compared to the previous week. Overall, prices are still significantly above the previous year's level.
Brandenburg:
Overall, Brandenburg farmers were quite satisfied with the potato harvest, according to several associations - but there were major regional differences. "The quality of the harvests was poor in almost all of Germany this year. First there was extreme drought, then a wet summer, then a very warm August and September. During this time, many growers left their potatoes in the ground. And from there it went straight back into a wet phase," says farmer Stefan Hoy to rbb. He explains that he himself lost part of his harvest due to heavy rain at the end of June. "Within 24 hours, 30 percent of the potato fields were flooded. Otherwise the harvest would have been slightly above average."