The mood on the current potato market is sorely lacking. "Demand just isn't there," says Joop Bonnet of Amsterdam potato wholesaler A.C. Loogman. "Export is lacking in particular. We've lost sales to Russia, but also to other Eastern European countries like Hungary and Romania. They show demand, but aren't buying, while normally we would already begin exporting to these countries in January. Sales on the domestic market are continuing steadily, but it can't absorb the large volume."
Harvesting by hand in Cyprus
According to the wholesaler, the quality of potatoes is going downhill fast. "They were harvested warm, and now problems are showing in many batches," Joop continues. "So we're already preparing ourselves for the first imported potatoes. Particularly when the quality of the old harvest is decreasing, supermarkets are eager to include new potatoes in their product range again. They have to keep selling potatoes, after all."
The first Diamant potatoes from Cyprus are expected mid-March. "Cyprus has had quite a bit of rain, and after last year's bad results, less was planted. So those volumes will be limited. Significantly less was planted in Spain and Portugal as well, so there are definitely opportunities in the time of new potatoes. New game, new chances," Bonnet concludes optimistically.
For more information:
A.C. Loogman & Zn. B.V.
Food Center Amsterdam
Jan van Galenstraat 4
1051 KM Amsterdam
Tel. +31-(0)20-6823573
Fax +31-(0)20-6823560
loogman@acloogman.nl
www.acloogman.nl