European physical markets
Price summary (source: NEPG)
Belgium
Fiwap/PCA market message:
Industrial potatoes:
Despite the harvests beginning, the global offer remains limited due to the low average yields observed. The industrial demand is not very present, but there are several active buyers (factories or trade). Export is slower, because local productions in Poland and Romania are filling the need.
Price for all comers, 35 mm+, min 60% 50 mm+, min 360g/5kg PSE, bulk, friable, departure, excl. VAT, direct delivery:
Bintje: 10.00 to 12.50 €/q, depending on caliber and destination; firm market;
Fontane and Challenger: 10.00 to 11.00 €/q, firm market.
Fresh markets: most supplies are under contract, and free transactions are (very) rare.
Yields vary greatly depending on the varieties and sub-regions, but on average, they remain below normal despite the irrigation used (especially for firm flesh varieties). Washability is (very) good overall. The final quality is still very uncertain because several varieties were detopped (very) late to gain caliber, while increasing the risk of developing rhizoctonia or silver scurf. PSE too high reported for some firm flesh varieties.
Indicative prices for all comers, 35 mm+, departure, washable:
Soft flesh varieties (Challenger, Alegria, Artemis…): 14.00 to 19.00 €/q
Firm flesh varieties:
- Nicola, Franceline: 20.00 to 25.00 €/q
- Charlotte, Annabelle, Jazzy…: 25.00 to 30.00 €/q.
Forward market
EEX in Leipzig (€/q) Bintje, Agria and var. related for conversion, 40 mm+, min 60% 50 mm+:
France
For the industry, the low point of the market is at 10 €/q for “basic” varieties (including Fontane and Challenger), and at 12-12.5 €/q for Innovator. Some industrials are buying on a market qualified as stable where prices have been unchanged for several weeks. On the fresh market, soft flesh varieties are between 18 and 25 €/q, and firm flesh varieties are between 30 and 45 €/q, depending on washability and variety. In export, Spain, Italy and Eastern Europe are interested but 30 to 40% of the French plots have been grubbed (estimation UNPT on September 25th).
Unwashed industrial potato, bulk, departure, excl.VAT, Nord Seine, €/qt, min–max (moy)(RNM):
Processing statistics (source: GIPT via UNPT): the French factories worked 184,000 tons from July 2019 until August 31st, 2019, which is 4% less than last year (-9,000 tons), but 16,000 more than in 2017. July was not a very active month (75,000 tons) compared to August (109,000 tons). 70% of the supplies are under contract and 25% are from abroad.
Yields from reference plots (source: CNIPT/UNPT): more than 240 plots of ware potatoes (industry and fresh) last collected in weeks 37 and 38 in Nord/Pas-de-Calais, Picardie, Champagne-Ardenne and Haute-Normandie: average yield (all varieties, irrigated or dry) at 45.9 t/ha, which 2/7t less than the average of the last 5 years. Less than 40 t/ha on average in Haute-Normandie, and more than 45 t/ha in the other 3 regions. Irrigation brought an average of 8 t/ha. Yields for the starch varieties are catastrophic, with an average of 40 t/ha (at 17), compared to 52.6 t/ha for 2010-2014, and 42.7 t/ha for the last 5 years.
The Netherlands
Little pressure from the offer despite the beginning of the harvest. But the industrial demand is not very high either, so not much is happening. Prices remain between 10 and 12.50 €/q for basic industrial varieties. Agria and similar varieties have the highest prices (up to 15 €/q). Domestic trade (promotional actions by retailers) is going well, with a producer price going from 13 to 24 €/q (mostly soft flesh varieties). Export (Africa and Eastern Europe) is quite active, at 16 to 18 €/q (calibrated in bags/big-bags, departure preparer).
Quotation PotatoNL: also available on www.potatonl.com
Germany
Large retailers have been extremely active these last 2 weeks with “Sonderaktionen” (special actions) to boost sales at the beginning of the autumn season. The very low prices - from 0.33 to 0.36 €/kg - should stimulate sales and consumption. We also notice that the bags keep getting smaller (the bags of 15kg being replaced by bags of 10, 2.5, 2 or 1.5kg…). The fresh market is slightly down, with firm flesh at 19.50 €/q (compared to 19.67 €/q last week), and soft and mealy flesh at 18.38 €/q (compared to 18.50 €/q). The demand from Eastern and Southeastern Europe continues.
Processing market: stable quotations: Fontane/Challenger at 11.25-11.75 €/q, Zorba between 11.25 and 11.75 €/q, and Innovator between 11.75 and 12.25 €/q.
Organic potatoes: organic prices around 65.00-67.00 €/q. The harvest of organic potatoes is almost over. The demand is lower than expected, due mainly to the many promotional actions targeting conventional potatoes.
Great Britain
Average AHDB price free markets week 38 (ending on September 21st): 15.44 €/q (compared to 15.37 €/q (all varieties, all markets) in week 37).