Belgium, Fiwap / PCA market message
Industrial varieties: Still not much activity on the free market, export and industrial processing alike. Prices are unchanged, but overall stable.
General price, 35 mm +, min 60% 50 mm +, min 360 gr / 5kg of EPS, bulk, friable, selling price, excluding VAT, direct delivery:
Bintje: Quiet market. Price between 2.00 and 3.00 € / q according to quality and destination. The demand for industry (frozen products) is almost zero. Fresh peeler and fry makers target the best batches (frying color and size) and award top prices.
Fontane and Challenger: around € 3.00 / q, stable markets (supply equal to demand). Higher prices for delayed deliveries.
Innovator: around € 5.00 / q.
European physical markets
Summary of rates (source: NEPG):
Bintje plant: Little trade. Offers more difficult in small sizes. Dutch plant, class A, made in March 2018, per 5 tons, in bags, excl. VAT:
Size 28 - 35 mm : 52,00 – 54,00 €/a
Size 35 – 45 mm : 32,00 - 34,00 €/a
Future Market: EEX in Leipzig (€/a) Bintje, Agria and various related for conversion, 40 mm+, min 60 % 50 mm +
Netherlands
Activity is still reduced in the free industrial markets, with prices in the range of 3.00 to 5.00 €/a in basic varieties (with the exception of Fontane, at 5.00 €/a), while Innovator reaches 7, 00 €/a. Export releases small volumes to Mauritania, Ivory Coast and the Caribbean starting at 7.50 to 9.00 €/a per bag. On the domestic fresh market, prices for firm pulp varieties between € 8.00 and € 13.50/a and soft pulp varieties between € 5.00 and € 9.00/a remain unchanged.
The potato starch industry has planned the processing in April - May of additional amounts of potatoes, which will come from stocks with sufficient dry matter.
Quotation PotatoNL : also available on www.potatonl.com
France
The RNM reports a slight increase in traded volumes, but a more difficult trade in varieties and basic quality. Overall, the course remains unchanged.
Unwashed industrial potato, bulk, selling price, excl. VAT, North Seine, €/a, min - max (avg) (RNM): Very dynamic export (source: customs via UNPT): France exported 210,434 tons (+ 23%) last December, bringing the total for calendar year 2017 to 1,786,000 tons (+ 6.9%). Spain (551,000 t), Belgium (440,000 t) and Italy (296,400 t) are the prime customers.
Germany
On the fresh market, producer prices are stabilising. On February 13, it stood at 10.75 €/a (unchanged) for firm pulp and 10.63 € / q (+ 0.7%) for mainly firm pulp/mealy (= soft pulp) . At the end of the week, the price of “refrigerator” goods will be 4.00 €/a, compared to the price of non-refrigerated bulk. For potatoes for the industry (fries) the market is strong and stable in Rhineland (as it is in the rest of Germany) for Challenger, Innovator and Fontane, with producer prices between 3.25 and 4.00 €/a. There’s a stronger net demand in chips/crisps. In organic potatoes the prices for the producers are rendered for retail for the varieties of the expenses, always going around 48,00 €/a.
Great Britain
Average producer price (all markets combined) for week 6: €11,77/a.
On the detailed fresh market, the trade is stable in most regions, and it’s even increased (in terms of volumes traded) in the western part of the country, with prices largely unchanged. On the other hand, supply is up in Scotland. The wholesale market in friable quality shows slightly higher prices for proper quality, because the cooking colours deteriorate / Maris Piper is between 7.30 and 9.00 €/a (large caliber 50 or 55 mm +), Markies and Agria reach 10.00 to 15.00 €/a (ditto). The industry remains mainly supplied by its contracts, with some free purchases between 4.50 and 8.50€/a, depending on to variety and quality. Various “echoes” in exports, with volumes increasing for some operators, and decreasing for others, due to the growing competition from Israeli crops on the Canary Islands. Quality issues in contractual delivery are also reported in different markets. Plantations are still behind, only covering 30% of the area in Cornwall so far.
Following batch interceptions with the presence of Epitrix, the UK authorities reminded the industry of the importance of respecting phytosanitary rules when importing Spanish potatoes. Except if they are clearly identified as originating from the Balearic Islands, or from areas free from Epitrix (approved by phytosanitary certification), Spanish potatoes must be washed before being imported into Great Britain.
For more information:
FIWAP