Belgium
Fiwap/PCA market message:
Industrial varieties: Little to no change on the market this week. Fontane and Challenger remain factories’ priorities whose demand for free stays low. Bintje has the most attention from peelers, but some industrial buyers are also interested. The export releases small, regular volumes mainly to Romania, England, and North Africa.
General price, 35 mm +, min 60% 50 mm +, min 360 gr/5kg of EPS, bulk, friable, selling price, excluding VAT, direct delivery:
Bintje: Quiet market (supply exceeds demand). 2,00 to 3,00 €/a depending on quality and destination;
Challenger : Stable market (supply equal to demand). Price around 3,00 €/a;
Fontane : Sustained market (Demands are equal to or exceed the supply) : 3,00 to 3,75 €/a depending on destination;
Innovator : Around 5,00 €/a.
European physical markets: summary of rates (source: NEPG):
Plant de Bintje : A little more interest and activity, given the decrease of Fontane plants. Dutch plant, Class A, made March 2018, per 5 tons, in bags, excl. VAT:
Size 28-35 mm: 54,00 - 55,00 €/a
Size 35-45 mm: 32,00 - 34,00 €/a
Future market: EEX in Leipzig (€/a) Bintje, Agria and various related for conversion, 40 mm+, min 60 % 50 mm +:
Netherlands
The cold snap has mainly affected exports by preventing transport, especially to the countries of Eastern Europe. However, it strengthened prices in the domestic fresh markets (from 5.00 to 8.00 €/a in soft pulp varieties, from 8.00 to 12.00 €/a in firm pulp varieties) and allowed a little “more” in the ratings of fried varieties. On the other hand, export prices are rather down (2.50 to 5.00 €/a for producers).
Quotation PotatoNL : also available on www.potatonl.com
France
More presence of factories for purchase. Priority for Agria, Innovator, Fontane and Challenger, but no impact on prices at the moment. The domestic fresh markets are described as "too quiet", while the export is a little more dynamic, especially to the Eastern countries, at prices starting from 7.00 to 10.00 €/a (in big bags), even up to 13,00 €/a for the top.
Unwashed industrial potato, bulk, selling price, excl. VAT, North Seine, €/a, min – max (avg) (RNM) :
Processing on the rise: according to the GIPT, French factories processed 626,000 tons between July 2017 and January 2018, a volume up 6% (+36,000 tons) compared to last year, and +11,000 tons compared to last year. 2015-2016. Contract supply accounted for 72%.
Germany
Stable producer prices on the fresh market. On February 27, they stood at 11.33 €/a (=) for firm pulp and 10.67 €/a (+ 0.4%) for mainly firm pulp/mealy (= soft pulp) . Stable markets in Rhineland (and elsewhere in Germany) for potatoes for the industry (fries): for Challenger, Innovator and Fontane with producer prices between 3.25 and 4.00 €/a.
Firm prices, especially in the east of the country, For chips/crisps. In organic potatoes, producer prices for the fresh varieties are still around € 48.00/a.
*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) for week 8: unrated.
The cold and snowstorms have severely disrupted potato trading last week, particularly in the east of the country. Demand on the fresh market (distribution) is better, but the wholesale market (for fish & chips shops) has been hit by bad weather. Exports to the Canary Islands have been held back by increase in refusals (due to quality). Free trade for the industry remains almost non-existent.
It is estimated that half of the vegetable areas in Cornwall have been planted, but crops in place did suffer from cold and snow damage last week.
For more information:
FIWAP