Don’t let the mood be spoilt by the price
Compared to last year, potato prices have almost halved, but Robert Koch does not want to let it get him down: “Although one can let potato prices spoil the mood, one should not do that. In the end, the potato price is the expression and result of supply and demand on the market”. Since mid-February people in the German region Palatinate have already partially begun planting new potatoes. With the thick-skinned Bavarian new potatoes, Robert Koch is banking on the first two weeks of July. “Our thin-skinned product on the other hand, will certainly kick off in three to four weeks. But these are only for processing. On the food market, nobody wants them”, Koch explains.
Concern for the new potato-market
“When I watch the new-potato market, I feel very bad. Relatively little is coming from Spain, because people have cultivated only a little there. The harvest in Israel has almost entirely frozen because of cold weather, and in North Africa the harvest has failed almost completely,” states the Bavarian potato farmer firmly. “We will have to see, whether what is coming our way now will be adequate.” Koch puts his hopes on the French market: “The French certainly still have good stocks, and they are happy to be rid of them. We should keep a keen eye on the market and stocks in the coming weeks. The coming eight weeks will certainly be full of suspense.”
“Quality of imported potatoes completely unquestionable”
Beside the German market, the Bavarian potato trader also services other EU states: “Concerning export, our main area is the Balkans. When there is demand in Italy, we also export there and minimal quantities go to Spain. But in Spain the French are closer by.” Apart from potatoes from own cultivation, Robert Koch also imports potatoes from Tunisia, Israel, Egypt and a little from Morocco.“ Except for the Egyptian goods, the quality of the imported potatoes is completely unquestionable.“ The potato trader is expecting further deliveries from Israel around Easter.
Minimum wage without effect
According to Robert Koch, the legally planned minimum wage in Germany will not have any effects on the potato industry. “The potato cultivation has been automated to such a degree, that the minimum wage will not have much further effect. The farmer and his wife do it mostly alone. As the potato farmer is so automated, one does not need to employ five or six harvesters,” Koch states. Only the side effects still cause Koch headaches: “I do not want to rule out that the minimum wage can eventually have legal effects. It might occur that some farmer or other will resist the legal obligations. Much worse on the other hand is the problem in the transport business. The German company needs to be wary, when the hired foreign freight forwarder does not pay his drivers the minimum wage. If the driver is inspected, the freight forwarder says “Sorry, I’m outta here!“ and suddenly the German company is sued. Generally however, Koch speaks in favour of the minimum wage: “The minimum wage is definitely right, only the concomitant effects and legal principles are the things, that upset the industry”.
Image cultivation of the potato is good and just
Marketing concepts like the consumer campaign “Die Kartoffel. Voll lecker (The potato. Full of taste)” of the Deutsche Kartoffelhandelsverband e. V. (DKHV) are currently taking place increasingly and not exclusively in the potato industry. “The image cultivation of the potato is very good,” states Koch. “One can cook at least as fast and healthy with the potato as with noodles. One only needs to get this point across. I am of the opinion that we can certainly still do something, to bring the utility and worth of the potato nearer to the young consumer.”
Robert Koch
Johann Koch e.k.
Eternitweg 17-19, D-86633 Neuburg
Tel. +49 8431 6795 52
info@johann-koch.de
www.johann-koch.de