According to the Landwirtschaftskammer Österreich (en: Austrian Chamber of Agriculture, LKÖ), the Austrian ware potato market was calm and unspectacular in the last days of February. With mild temperatures and hopes of higher prices fading, farmers are increasingly willing to sell and empty their warehouses. There is no marketing pressure as the existing stocks are declining rapidly due to the high proportion of quality-related sorting. However, a continuous supply of domestic produce until the new season seems possible. Although there is a lack of new momentum on the sales side, the demand in the domestic food retailing sector is not unsatisfactory. There are no price changes. At the beginning of the week, prices for table potatoes in Lower Austria were mostly around EUR 30/100kg (USD 31.50). There are still discounts for loads with above-average sorting results. In Upper Austria, producer prices of up to EUR 32/100kg (USD 33.60) were reported.
Onions: export prices under pressure
The Austrian onion market has settled down. Sales in the domestic food retail sector are described as calm to steady. However, interest in Austrian onions has noticeably declined on the export market. In addition, export prices appear to be under some pressure. However, supply pressure is hardly rising due to the limited supply. In addition, the marketing of the lower-quality loads is likely to be well-advanced. Despite the current subdued demand, producer prices remained at the previous week's level. Onions, cleaned and sorted in boxes, of the appropriate quality and size, sold for between EUR 22 and 25/100 kg (USD 23.10-26.25). Prices are lower for lower-quality or smaller loads.
Balanced carrot market
At the end of February, the Lower Austrian carrot market is quite balanced. Domestically, carrots can be marketed steadily at unchanged conditions. Exports are also running at a manageable level. There are no changes in producer prices compared to previous weeks. For carrots in 5 kg bags, from the ramp, prices per quality are unchanged at mostly EUR 55–65/100kg (USD 57.74-68.24 USD).
Source: LKÖ