The Spanish early potato harvest has already started in Cartagena, in the Spanish Region of Murcia, with smaller sizes and lower yields than usual expected in the first part of the season. Meanwhile, in Andalusia, storms at the beginning of the year have delayed the start of the season by almost two months. In general, the area planted with new potatoes is down by between 15 and 20%.
"We started harvesting potatoes last weekend in Cartagena," says Alfonso Sáez de Cámara, General Manager of Udapa. Part of the production was affected by strong winds in the area between late February and early March, so sizes are smaller than usual. In general, potatoes are therefore not expected to be large enough for bagging during the first part of the season," he says.
According to Sáez de Cámara, a bumper crop is certainly not expected in the Region of Murcia, and even less so in Andalusia, where potato sowing was delayed by almost two months due to the impact of heavy rainstorms. "The early potato production in Seville will be late, and there will be substantial losses due to the impact of the rains. When harvesting finishes in Cartagena, we are very likely to be only just starting in Seville."
"With this gap in the supply of new Spanish potatoes, wholesale markets and small retailers are extending the sale of French storage potatoes, as we already saw last season, due to the high starting price of the first early potatoes. But how long can the marketing of French potatoes be extended? Stocks of fresh-washed potatoes are low," says Sáenz de Cámara.
As usual, the first early potatoes are fetching relatively high prices, and this year, given their low supply, there is more speculation. "I believe that prices for new potatoes will have to be lower and more attractive before the market makes the shift from storage potatoes to this seasonal product, and for exports to start sooner, bearing in mind that at the moment there are also other Mediterranean suppliers offering early potatoes," says Alfonso Sáenz de Cámara.
© UdapaFor more information:
Udapa S.Coop.
C/ Paduleta nº1, Pol. Ind. de Júndiz
01015 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Álava. Spain
Tel.: +34 945 290 395
[email protected]
https://udapa.com
