In the potato market, the first two months of the year were a bit slow. "In many export markets, we had a somewhat sluggish start to the year. Meanwhile, the price has dropped slightly, and we're also seeing a modest increase in demand," says William Westhoeve of Westhoeve Potatoes from Ouddorp, which focuses entirely on potato exports.
"Currently, we're exporting mainly to the Caribbean and South America. Markets such as Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago are starting to pick up a bit more. In particular, demand from Trinidad has been very weak in recent weeks. We're also seeing some demand emerging from Romania, but those exports have yet to really take off. Hopefully, if prices drop enough, a good volume of potatoes can head that way again."
"Perhaps potatoes were just a bit too expensive for certain markets. At the moment, the base price of potatoes is in the high 20-cent range, but we've come down from over 30 cents," the potato exporter said. "The question now is how prices will develop further. Perhaps, now that farmers are heading into the fields, they may want to offload their potatoes a bit more quickly."
According to him, quality differences between batches are significant. "We come across a bit of everything, but overall, the quality isn't bad." When asked whether there is still demand for specific varieties, the exporter replies that this is not a major concern for export customers. "Our customers want nice, smooth-skinned potatoes. Varieties and sizes matter much less."
For more information:
William Westhoeve
Westhoeve Potatoes
Hofdijksweg 42
3253 KB Ouddorp
Tel: +31 (0)187 68 31 37
info@westhoevepotatoes.nl
www.westhoevepotatoes.nl