"We recently started marketing the first batches of early potatoes from Murcia, which are currently fetching high prices. At this time, the commercial outlook for the early potatoes from Murcia and Seville is good, since Spain prefers its own new potatoes when they become available. Moreover, France, from which we import a lot of storage potatoes, has very few high-quality batches for fresh consumption available at this time. These factors are leading to an increased need for good quality potatoes in the domestic market," says Alfonso Sáenz de Cámara, manager of the Basque cooperative Udapa.
"The harvest in Seville has been slightly delayed compared to last year due to the lower temperatures and rain during Easter, which may have damaged some plots, but this seems to have generally been beneficial for the campaign, and there should already be exportable product in May and June."
According to Sáenz de Cámara, potato plantings have been delayed in central and northern Europe due to excessive rainfall, which would give Castile-Leon potatoes a greater window for export in July. "Last year, about 50,000 tons of Castilian-Leonese potatoes were exported to central and northern European countries and we expect an increase in this figure this year due to the delay in the planting," he says.
"We hope that the good forecasts for this campaign will be met and that the sector will be encouraged to plant more potatoes, as in recent years we have seen a downward trend in Spain, especially for the acreage devoted to potatoes for consumption. Last year, about 63,000 hectares of potatoes were planted in Spain, and this year, we estimate that the acreage will again have decreased by between 2 and 4%, although we don't have those figures, yet," said the manager of Udapa.
Alfonso Sáenz de Cámara said that the scarcity of seeds has increased their cost by about 10%, and has also forced growers to opt for a wider range of varieties and bigger calibers.
"The danger lies in relocating the potato production"
Spain needs to import about 55% (approximately 1 million tons) of the production it consumes and France is still the main supplier, accounting for around 80% of the total. Egypt has a much lower share, but its supply has been skyrocketing in a very short time.
"The increase in potato imports from Egypt is striking, as we have gone from importing about 8,000 tons in 2022 to 50,000 tons in 2023, with the forecast of further growth in this current campaign," says the manager of Udapa. "We are producing less and less in Spain and importing more. In this context, the big funds might think that Egypt is where they should be investing, instead of Spain, and that's dangerous for us," he says.
"Without a doubt, the Egyptian government is heavily investing in agribusiness and gaining market share, as we are seeing it also with other crops. Meanwhile, our producers are facing more and more obstacles due to the agricultural policies imposed by the EU in environmental and bureaucratic matters. Therefore, the production in Spain is decreasing and there is less and less interest from growers, who are dealing with high extra costs," says Sáenz de Cámara.
Fresh potato consumption continues to decline, while convenience products grow
In Spain, the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables has fallen by between 7 and 8%, and potatoes have not escaped this trend. "It is worrying that the consumption of fresh potatoes, which generates the highest economic profitability for producers, is declining. Spain's consumption has fallen below 20 kg per capita annually, with a loss of about 5 kg per capita annually over the last 10 years. However, the demand for potatoes for processing and convenience products continues to grow," says the manager of Udapa. "Consumers have strict demands when it comes to the product's appearance, which is why, in part, more of our products are being shipped to the processing industry or for use in pre-cooked products."
"However, I believe that, at the sector level, we need stronger marketing. We lack an interprofessional organization bringing us together and promoting the consumption of potatoes as a healthy product, compared to other sources of carbohydrates, such as pasta, bread or rice," he says. "We need a national strategy and greater support from public administrations."
For more information:
UDAPA
Paduleta 1, Pol. Ind. de Júndiz
01015 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
[email protected]
https://udapa.com