According to numbers from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), demand is still lacklustre at this point, but with the easing of lockdown restrictions in the coming months, there is some optimism that trade should start to pick up again.
Free-buy demand has been reportedly slow this week, with most trade fulfilled on contract. Planting has started in some parts. This may limit farmer selling as groundwork becomes the focus of attention, unless rain hampers efforts.
Packing
The lower end prices of Maris Piper have firmed on the week, on the back of tight supply. Demand for salad potatoes has reportedly been picking up this week. Some quality concerns are surfacing this week for White varieties kept at ambient storage. The worry is that these varieties may run into issues soon, with some reports of rotting already surfacing.
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