Since week 26, potato prices in the Spanish region of Castile-Leon have been substantially exceeding those of the previous campaign, when they were already high compared to the average of the last 5 seasons. They currently double those. 
"In fact, we could say that, for now, the potato campaign in Spain is going better in terms of prices than in the rest of Europe," says David Sánchez, Director of Pepsur Marketing.
(Source of the graph: MAPA Weekly Price Report, corresponding to week 32).
"So far, the harvest has been carried out in a staggered manner and the demand is outstripping the supply, so although we had been seeing extremely high prices, the crop remains expensive in Castile-Leon. It is also worth noting that the quality of the potatoes being harvested is really good, and according to comments from the sector itself, the quality of the loads shipped from outside Spain was not as high as expected because of the impact of the weather in their production areas, which is perhaps helping keep the demand for Spanish potatoes stable."
"Nonetheless, it should be noted that in addition to having had favourable weather conditions, Spain has had access to some very good materials and seeds, which is helping to ensure success in the marketing. Growers in Castile-Leon working with commercial varieties, such as the Kingsman, are very happy, because they have obtained even higher average yields than in other years, as well as a very good quality, while using the same variety."
"In this regard, we are testing new clonal materials, and in just a few days, we are planning to start up a trial field in Segovia, where we'll surely be able to collect some interesting data on the varieties under study."
"Last week, in fact, we were working on an early harvest of potential varieties for our market, and we have been surprised and our expectations have been exceeded by the yields we have obtained, as well as by the percentage of dry matter in these early varieties after only 90 days. With 21%, these short-cycle varieties are very interesting for the industry. In general, industrial varieties have traditionally needed longer cycles in order to achieve acceptable dry matter contents," says David.
In two weeks' time, this year's PotatoEurope potato trade fair will be held in France, where forecasts for the European seasons will be announced, and the first data on seed potato production volumes and quality will be presented. "We'll still have to wait a few more days to have more accurate information," says David, "but at Pepsur, we have already started our seed potato campaign, and we have been sounding out the sector's needs for several weeks now. Regardless of the figures and availability of seed potatoes this year, we'll once again manage to provide the best service to our clients."
For further information, please contact
Pepsur Marketing
C/ La Perla, nº 1 - bajo A,
47400 Medina del Campo, Valladolid, Spain
Tel.: +34 983 81 27 69
[email protected]
www.pepsur.com