Belgium
Fiwap/PCA market message:
Industrial varieties: General price, 35 mm+, min 60% 50 mm+, min 360 g/5kg of EPS, bulk, friable, selling price, excluding VAT, direct delivery:
2017 harvest: No data - end of season.
2018 harvest: Early Belgian crops: €25,00 – €30,00/a depending on destination, quality, and amount. The best prices correspond with batches of sufficient sizes, and a non-excessive PES (<400g/5kg) - these are mostly irrigated parcels. The supply is almost zero, given the very low yields (which are regularly insufficient to honour the contracts). Harvesters are on course on sandy lands (barely any land ends up in the dumpster) and giving priority to irrigated plots. On heavier soils, grubbing is sometimes impossible (due to too hard soil), or the proportion of clods of earth is high.
European physical markets
Summary of rates (source: NEPG):
Price in auctions/auction of Roeselare (source: REO via PCA): July 30:
Weighted price (red and white) for handpicked production: €0,45/kg (€45,00/a) excluding VAT. Supply: 9 tons.
Bintje plant: Prices supported by concerns over 2018 production are affected by the drought. All prices subject to change, inquire every day! Dutch plant, class A, made in March 2019, per 5 tons, in bags, excl. VAT:
Size 28 - 35 mm: €85,00 - €90,00/a
Size 35 – 45 mm: €55,00 - €60,00/a
Future market
EEX in Leipzig (€/a) Bintje, Agria and various related for conversion, 40 mm+, min 60 % 50 mm +:
France
Irrigation reduces the impact of drought and heat somewhat, but yields estimated in week 30 are still down compared to last year, with an average of 26t/ha (average of North/Pas-de-Calais/Picardy, and Champagne), 2 t/ha less than last year (source: UNPT).
Netherlands
The rest of the 2017 harvest has been eagerly used by the factories in recent weeks, and the transition to early crops is on course on the basis of €25/a last week (for surplus contract). The risk of rejection/cuttings is very real if the rains come back, because symptoms are already visible on various french fries. Fontane and Markies are not the most affected, unlike Bintje.
PotatoNL course: also available on www.potatonl.com. No data - end of season.
VTA course (Verenigde Telers Akkerbouw) No data - end of season.
Germany
*you will have to deduct €1,00/a from these prices in their starting fields in the table above for sorting fees
Great Britain
Average producer price (all markets) week 30: €12,02/a (+9,6 %).
Some rains received in the last weekend of July helped to support the foliage, but without drastically changing the situation in the field. Each passing day reduces the effect of long-awaited rains, if they even come back at all. The high temperatures make the foliage drop, and stagnate yields. Irrigation is at its peak, but it does not prevent expected yield reductions from the average of recent years. In the fresh markets, the old crop is finding favour among buyers to occupy the shelves for a good part of August (except in firm pulp varieties, where new crops have taken over). Prices are up in all segments.
Poland
Yield and production down (source: GUS office via VTA): Despite rains in June, which benefited crops, average yield prospects are estimated at 27 t/ha, down 3% from last year. But the areas have decreased (-9%) to 300,000 ha. Polish production is therefore estimated at +/- 8.1 million tons, compared to more than 9 million tons last year.
For more information:
FIWAP