One of the first batches of Norwegian potatoes of the year was sold for €10 recently. For growers, it’s quite an honour to supply the first potatoes of the year, and there’s a lot of interest in these from the fine dining segment. When large volumes start arriving on the market, prices will be nearer €2. Price will drop even more once the more common varieties arrive on the market, according to cooperative Gartnerhallen. The high price of the first potatoes is the result of the costs made by the growers. They have to pre-sprout the potatoes and plant them by hand. In the following weeks, the plants have to be covered, depending on temperatures, before they’re manually harvested.
In Norway, about 100 potato varieties are grown in total, and only 30 of these are grown on a large scale. Varieties like Juno, Solist and Arielle are suitable for the early production. Asterix and Mandel are the most general consumption potatoes, but Folva, Beta, Gulløye and new varieties such as Hassel are popular as well. In total, more than 300,000 tonnes of potatoes are grown every year, from Kristiansand in the south to Alta in the north. Hedmark is the most important potato region, accounting for 38 per cent of the total potato yield.
Source: gartnerhallen.no