“Month of switching from Spanish to North American sweet potatoes”

For Krocom in Barendrecht, the Netherlands, the North American sweet potato season started several months ago. “People started harvesting in North Carolina in October. Spain was on the market in October, but those volumes are now decreasing. We have now entered a month of switching. Prices are already approaching each other, and I expect the US will start taking over the market in the coming weeks,” says Christiaan van der Goes.

“Most importers from the Netherlands are only now starting with American sweet potatoes, because it was difficult to compete with the European supply, price-wise. Not just Spain, but also Egypt and Portugal were on the market in recent months,” Van der Goes continues. “The market has by now emptied quite a bit, and everyone can see sales are doing much better.”

Although an increasing number of sweet potato suppliers are entering the European market, the market is well-equipped to absorb this expansion, according to Van der Goes. “There is still room on the market for this growing product. It is expected that consumption will increase by at least 30 per cent in coming years. The product is becoming better-known and more loved in Europe. Consumption is still by far the highest in the UK, but we are currently also seeing an enormous increase in Eastern Europe.”

Krocom started importing sweet potatoes from the US two years ago. “We supply a wide range of buyers, from retailers to wholesalers and specialist shops. Volumes vary from one package to a full lorry,” says Van der Goes. Although the North American sweet potatoes are available year-round in theory, Krocom often continues importing until the summer, because Egypt and Spain then enter the market with large volumes.