European physical markets
Price summary (source: NEPG):
Belgium
Fiwap/PCA market message:
Industrial potatoes:
Slightly calmer markets, with little offer globally and little industrial demand. Unchanged prices.
Price for all comers, 35 mm+, min 60% 50mm+, min 360g/5kg PSE, bulk, friable, departure, excl.VAT, direct delivery:
Bintje: 12.50-15.00 €/q; the main manufacturers continue to pay the basic price, but some peelers have difficulty finding the right lots and pay up to 15.00 €/q for the superior quality (big caliber, good cooking);
Fontane: 12.50–13.00 €/q; big caliber lots are purchased by exporters, up to 15.00 €/q for England (industry and peeling);
Challenger: 12.50–13.00 €/q; slight increase in supply of lots with short conservation;
Innovator: 13.00–14.00 €/q.
Bintje plant: very little trade, low demand. Indicative prices. Dutch plant, class A, returned March 2020, by 10 tons, in big-bags exclVAT:
Caliber 28-35 mm: 58.00-60.00 €/q
Caliber 35–45 mm: 38.00-40.00 €/q
Forward market
EEX in Leipzig (€/q) Bintje, Agria and var. related for conversion, 40 mm+, min 60% 50 mm+:
Netherlands
Several manufacturers bought last week for delayed delivery, especially Fontane, Innovator and Markies on a basis of 18.00 €/q, delivery April/May. For immediate delivery, the basic price (Cat 1) is determined by the lots with the worst conservation, while the superior friable quality is up more than 0/50 €/q, at 17.00 €/q on average. Export to England clearly supports the value of the friable lots. Fresh potato exporters have a good season so far, mainly to distant destinations in the past weeks. But trade to Eastern Europe also remains present. Prices at the producer went up, from 15.00 to 17.00 €/q.
Quotation PotatoNL: also available on www.potatonl.com
France
For the industry: free purchases continue and support prices, which remain between 12.50 and 14.50 €/q. Fontane gets the best price, especially for export to England. The market getting more firm was noticeable last week, but the supply of lots with conservation problems still prevented prices from really going up. Export is waiting, with firm and stable prices, sometimes more disputed, with many disagreements, with a range of 18.00 to 33.00 €/q, depending on variety, quality and packaging. The heart of the market is situated at 20.00-25.00 €/q at the producer for Spain, Eastern countries, Italy and even Portugal (with difficulties agreeing on the price).
Unwashed industrial potato, bulk, departure, excl.VAT, Nord Seine, €/qt, min-max (average)(RNM):
Production statistics (source: UNPT): the 2019 production is estimated by professionals at 6.34 million tons from 148.290 ha (which is 3,000 ha more than in 2018). The average yield of 42.80 t/ha is 1.80 t/ha more than last year, but 1.80 t/ha less than the multi-year average. Grubbing is not completed yet, and taking into account the areas that remain to be grubbed in the Hauts-de-France and might be lost, the harvest would be between 6.25 and 6.30 million tons.
Germany
There is confirmation that the German harvest is 400,000 t lower than the original estimate. The total harvest barely reaches 10 million tons. The definitive sowing for 2019 was 271.600 ha. Fresh market: prices are up for the firm flesh at 23.00 €/q (compared to 22.83 €/q last week), and 21.25 €/q for the soft and more firm mealy flesh (compared to 21.08 €/q). Processing market: price increase for Fontane/Challenger at 13.00-13.50 €/q (compared to 12.75-13.25) and for Innovator at 15.25-15.75 €/q (compared to 15.00-15.50 €/q).
Organic potatoes: prices around 65.00-67.00 €/q.
Great Britain
Some difficult attempts at harvesting took place last week, but most of the areas not harvested will have to wait until the spring. The volumes that were harvested recently is sent to the factories directly. The markets are clearly firm, the average free price is fixed at 18.76 £/q (22.40 €/q), with Maris Piper from 20.00 to 22.00 €/q, and Agria and Markies at 24.00-29.00 €/q. Imports from the continent have been reported.
For more information:
FIWAP
www.fiwap.be