"Difficult is the new normal" is how Raiffeisen's CEO, Ferdi Buffen, opened the 33rd Weuthen Potato Day. He refers to the many challenges the potato sector faces these days. Ferdi Buffen built on this in his traditional opening speech, summing up the current potato year as "an unimaginable roller coaster. With historically high prices in all segments, a very wet spring, seed and harvest delays, and unfavorable harvesting conditions in recent weeks. Things don't look particularly rosy for the main crop at present," he says.
Click here for the 33rd Weuthen Potato Day photo report and here for the complete market and harvest estimates.
The potato acreages of Germany and its neighboring countries (Benelux, France, Poland, and Great Britain) have all shrunk slightly. Even though many areas caught up, it could not compensate for the growth deficit. Current harvest estimates are, therefore, quite modest. Germany expects a total yield of 10.25 - 10.75 million tons. A total harvest of 22 to 22.5 million tons is predicted in the four neighboring crop countries. In Great Britain, yields will probably also be below average, between 4.5 and 5 million tons.
Due to an increasing supply, Weuthen expects ware potato price adjustments in the coming weeks. Floury and baby potatoes remain in demand, says Ferdi. Prices should reach €30-35/100 kg for "old" storage potatoes and related surcharges by the end of the year.
Raiffeisen and the Weuthen trading house continue investing in production security, reliability, and intensive irrigation. They want to keep meeting global demand in the coming years. "Extreme years may be greatly challenging, but it's in these times that the wheat is separated from the chaff. We've recently proven that even in situations like this, we're a reliable raw materials supplier for all segments, and meeting our contracts is a priority. That's cost us money, but it's an investment in the future, too," Ferdi concludes.
New visitors record
In this challenging potato year, a record number of people visited the event in Germany. With all the developments, there was more than enough to discuss. Especially in Germany and the Netherlands, numerous growers and trade representatives now highlight the day on their calendars. For the German potato sector, the local event is, of course, an alternative to Potato Europe, which will be held next week in Belgium.
This year's exhibitors again included a range of breeders, machine and technology suppliers, and various service providers. Besides the potato demo field, the onion demo field has also become a fixture. Despite all the challenges in the potato sector, industry suppliers unanimously confirm that many growers are still willing to innovate and invest, manifesting in numerous new construction projects and applications. In this respect, the potato sector's long-term trend seems fairly positive.
For more information:
Website: https://www.weuthen-gmbh.de/
