Spanish potatoes continue to fetch record prices at the moment due to supply shortages, a result of a hasty end to the early potato season in Andalusia and the lack of potatoes for storage in cold stores since May. However, both supply and prices are expected to become more stable in the coming weeks.
"For weeks now, there has been a significant gap in the potato supply because the new potato season in Seville finished earlier than expected, with a 30% lower production due to the impact of the rains. In general, sizes have been small, but the quality has been really good," says Udapa Manager Alfonso Sáenz de Cámara.
"It is worth recalling that there has been a shortage of potatoes for storage in Europe since May, which has resulted in Spanish potato imports being higher than usual. Faced with strong export sales and an empty market with rising prices, many growers were tempted to start early with the harvest of their earliest potato crops in Castile-Leon," says Saénz de Cámara.
"At the moment, Spanish potato prices are still too high, but they are expected to fall as soon as higher volumes start to arrive from Castile-Leon," says the grower and trader. "Also, this will coincide with the start of the French harvest, which will cause a reduction of the demand for Spanish potato imports from other European countries."
"The truth is that it has been very difficult to buy potatoes at the source for the companies that wash, sort and pack them, sometimes with negative profit margins. We predict that prices will soon improve, once the supply and demand are more balanced, and that they will continue to more than cover the production costs," he says.
For more information:
UDAPA
Paduleta 1, Pol. Ind. de Júndiz
01015 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
[email protected]
https://udapa.com