For many years now, early potatoes have been dying out. This year the situation is worse than ever for Prince de Bretagne in France's number 1 early potato production zone.
The situation is caused by fruit and vegetables that are available all year round : Potatoes stored for months on end, stored in cold rooms, losing all of their taste and nutritional benefits. Prince de Bretagne's early potatoes are only available 3 months of the year, but cannot be found on the shelves due to contracts between suppliers and buyers to have the same product over 12 months. This year 213 producers are in full early potato season, yet consumers only have potatoes harvested a year ago on offer. At a time when so much importance is put on sustainable development, producers deplore modern conservation methods. What is likely to soon happen is that countries with low paid workers will produce potatoes all year round that will saturate the market.