“The switch from ware to early potatoes is going well”

Since the beginning of May, Réseau Vitalis is at a crossroads, with the end of ware potatoes and the early potatoes that will arrive on the French market in a few weeks. "We are still working on French ware potatoes and in two weeks, we will start with the early potatoes from Spain (fries/oven segment). This will take 4 to 6 weeks, and the French campaign will then kick off with small volumes at the beginning of June," explains Francisco Moya, director of Réseau Vitalis.

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Transition on schedule and a well-controlled situation

The transition is going "quite well" and following a "normal schedule". "We are not at all worried about the shift from ware potatoes to early potatoes. The regions where we are positioned are not behind schedule, and the situation is fairly well under control. We will continue to use ware potatoes throughout May for some references, and when the French origin does not meet the requirements of the specifications at the end of the campaign, we will use imported early produce (from Spain or Portugal) until the French early potatoes are ready."

A dynamic market with limited but available stocks
Every year, other origins are used to make this transition, a need that is more or less pronounced, depending on the campaign. "Last year, we had a major production deficit in France, so we had to resort to imported products. This year, we do not need to import as much because volumes have been higher. However, stocks are still low because the market has been quite dynamic."

A favorable context for the French potato market
Several phenomena have contributed in creating a favorable situation for the French potato market. "Regarding harvesting (August to mid-May) last year, part of the crop remained on the ground in some French production basins. As a result, the import market for industrial products was a little more dynamic than expected. If we take the European harvest as a whole, France fared rather well, even if it also suffered some flooding. The demand has been good throughout the season. The current weather is also favorable for potato consumption. Additionally, the industrial market continues to develop and absorb volumes of potatoes. And finally, the general inflationary context in Europe is favorable to the consumption of staple products such as potatoes, which remain affordable for consumers, even with the rise in prices."