In Malta, 
potato crops suffered considerably from bad weather in early February. "While we were in Berlin, there were severe floods and storms. The streets and fields were flooded. I've not seen it that bad in all the time we've been importing new potatoes from Malta, and we’ve been doing so for quite a few years," says Kees Schouten of the Dutch company Altena Potatoes.
"Malta is hilly, so the potatoes weren't underwater for 24 hours. But the rain did cause issues. The Santé potatoes initially looked good and were supposed to arrive early this year. That didn't happen. The weather is nice now, though," Kees reports from Malta.
Altena has a long-standing partnership with Maltese potato company Quality Fruit & Vegetables, where Raphael Scerri runs things. The season starts in late March with the Santé potatoes, and the well-known variety Alpha and Musica follow. "I think we can start the season at the regular time, but the potatoes are smaller, and fewer-than-usual kilos will arrive."
"And there already are not many imported potatoes available on the market. Our Moroccan suppliers have an export ban because the country doesn't have enough potatoes. That's why there are practically no Moroccan Nicola potatoes this year. There are some Egyptian Spunta potatoes, but my customers aren't that keen on those, even though they're affordable. These are more popular in southern Europe. Spunta potatoes cost around €0.50/kg," explains Kees.
"Storage potato exports within Europe are going well. Only exports to Africa are struggling this year. We seem to still be too expensive for those countries. With farmers getting €0.30 for Agrias and €0.25 for Melody, they can't complain this year. I expect prices to stay pretty good."
"That means we'll begin with high prices for imported potatoes simply because there's no supply. And Maltese potatoes are always in demand. I'm sure I could sell more than we're getting. The market vendors are particularly eager for the new crop. The older potatoes' quality is deteriorating, so those traders want to start with the new crop at any cost," Kees concludes.
For more information: 
Kees Schouten
Aardappelhandel Altena
Veensesteeg 15
4264 KG Veen
Tel: +31 (0) 416 392 565
Cell: +31 (0) 653 127 488
kees@altena-bv.nl
www.altenapotatoes.com