"Following our visit a few weeks ago to all our growers in the United States, one thing is abundantly clear: the current sweet potato market is excellent, locally and overseas. We sell plenty of sweet potatoes in programs in the U.S., so our stock is under no pressure. The season should, thus, be successful overall, especially since there's a high demand on the European market, too," says Nick Bakelaar of the Dutch company Spot.
"While we're busy with Easter sales in the U.S., that trend hasn't quite caught on in Europe. Here, it's less common to eat sweet potatoes during Easter. Reduced availability from the U.S. will probably mean decreased supplies after Easter. Demand is high, while the supply is quite limited. At present, aside from the U.S., there are few other origins available. That hikes market prices significantly to match those in the U.S. Sweet potatoes are noticeably recovering slightly after three lesser years."
"Also, we're expecting our sweet potatoes from South Africa and Argentina in May. Initial reports from there are very promising, and the harvest was very successful. Sizes are average, so we won't be left with too many small or overly large ones. The potatoes are still being harvested and 'cured', so they're ripe enough to be packed and sent to the Netherlands. These will be a great addition to the sweet potato demand in Europe," continues the commercial manager.
"We're working closely with our growers in Egypt, too, to get the first plants into the ground as quickly as possible so we can start the season early. The U.S. season should be quite short, so Egypt complements that perfectly," Nick concludes.
For more information:
Nick Bakelaar
Spot
128 ABC Westland
2685 DB, Poeldijk, The Netherlands
Tel.: +31 (0) 174 479 232
nick@spot.farm
www.spot.farm