The extremely dry weather is resulting in cautious optimism in the potato trade, yet Adrie Kleinjan has noticed growers are somewhat reserved. “They’ll first have to see it. It was dry in the past year as well, and we all know how that season ended. These growers were hit so hard, they don’t actually dare to believe in a good season anymore.”
“Last year, we all thought potato prices would sky-rocket because of the dry weather, but a good crop managed to grow due to the good structure and the rain that fell later in the season, and an enormous amount of potatoes was grubbed up in the most important EU production countries. This year, the structure is much poorer, and the start was much more difficult due to rain in some regions. No plot is the same, and yields of early potatoes will fluctuate wildly between 20 and 45 tonnes,” Adrie expects.
“All in all, I feel quite positive about prospects. The old potatoes have almost all been sold, and that was highly unlikely even just a month ago. That’s the good thing about potatoes. Because of the dry weather in Eastern Europe, they’re now behind in growth and yield. Weather influences are noticeable everywhere, and that could possibly also result in opportunities,” the potato trader continues.
For more information:
Kleinjan's aardappelhandel
Zuidoordseweg 6
3267 LW Goudswaard, the Netherlands
Tel.: +31 (0)186 692 900
Fax.: +31 (0)186 691 491
info@kleinjansaardappelhandel.nl
www.kleinjansaardappelhandel.nl