According to the Valencian Farmers' Association (AVA-ASAJA), the prices offered to potato producers have plummeted by half in the last three weeks, to the point where they are now below production costs and therefore incurring losses. The agricultural organization accuses the agents that are between the producer and the consumer of "abusing their profits" as potato prices go from €0.20/kg in the field to an average of €1.53/kg in the supermarket, that is, seven times more.
© Ava Asaja
"The Valencian potato season began with a certain degree of optimism, as, in addition to a larger planted area, the first market movements allowed obtaining reasonable prices. However, in just twenty days, the commercial situation has changed dramatically, with prices falling, in general terms, from around €0.40/kg to the current €0.20/kg. To make things worse, several episodes of rain and westerly winds have aggravated the attacks of mildew (a fungus for which there are insufficient phytosanitary solutions due to European Union restrictions), reducing the harvest by more than 30% in some orchards," the organization stated.
"At the other end of the value chain, despite the collapse in prices in the countryside, consumers are paying the same or even more for potatoes in the supermarkets. Large distribution chains are selling this product at prices ranging from €0.99 and €1.99/kg, with an average retail price of €1.53/kg. In addition to potatoes of Spanish origin, the firms have also been selling imports from France, Egypt, and Israel, mainly," they stated.
AVA-ASAJA is asking the Food Information and Control Agency (AICA), a body under the Ministry of Agriculture, to launch an investigation into potato contracts throughout the value chain to detect imbalances and punish possible illegal practices.
The head of the vegetable sector at AVA-ASAJA, Vicente José Sebastià, who grows potatoes in L'Horta Nord - an area under special protection by the Orchard Law, which "has proven ineffective"- stresses that "it is absurd to consume potatoes from abroad when we have top-quality, extremely fresh potatoes right here that are ideal for all kinds of recipes. If we commit to Valencian potatoes, we will improve our health, our economy, and our landscape. We must look at the labelling when buying and commit to local products."
