© Hugo Huijbers | FreshPlaza.com
The first loose-skinned early potatoes from Southern Baden were delivered to wholesale markets on schedule on May 20, followed by firm-skinned early potatoes for food retailers from June 10. Parallel to the current heatwave, marketing collapsed noticeably at the beginning of calendar week 26. "We are now facing disillusionment," reports Andreas Kopf (right) from the agricultural trading company of the same name in Bad Krozingen. "The figures for regional food retailers are still reasonable at present, but sales in interregional shipping and the wholesale market are quite subdued. The next 14 days are also likely to be challenging."
Kopf, who mainly markets potatoes from his own farm in the Markgräflerland region, points to the two-week Whitsun holiday in Baden-Württemberg and the end of the asparagus season on June 24 as possible reasons for the decline in sales. The unusually abundant supply of early potatoes is also having a negative impact on the marketing situation. "Domestic early potatoes are hitting the market in large quantities this year. Normally, the south always starts harvesting two to three weeks earlier, but this year all regions are on the market at the same time. In addition, food retailers still have access to Spanish imports, so we have an overlap of two to three weeks, which is actually rather unusual." Meanwhile, prices for regional early potatoes are at a "seasonal level," he added.
© Landhandel Kopf
Aerial view of the potato harvest in Markgräflerland
Early potato yields in the Markgräflerland region are currently considered to be mostly good, although there are differences depending on the variety. Kopf: "Annabelle under plastic sheeting and Glorietta are slightly below average in terms of yield, while Colomba and outdoor Annabelle are producing above-average yields. At the beginning of the ripening period at the end of May, it was a little too wet, and there were also some heavy rainfall events, but fortunately, our crops got off lightly. Recently, however, it has been extremely dry and hot, with daytime temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius. However, our fields are covered by irrigation systems, so the quality of our crops has hardly suffered."
© Landhandel Kopf
The company has its own refrigerated logistics for delivering the produce.
High proportion of large produce feared
It is not yet possible to predict how the main harvest will turn out. "The size of the tubers must not be overlooked when it comes to mid-early table potatoes. For the Bernina variety, I cannot rule out that there will be a slightly higher proportion of larger tubers, although the slightly small to medium-sized produce is preferred. We normally start harvesting potatoes for storage at the end of July, although the current dry conditions may increase the risk of wireworm infestation. In this case, we would have to temporarily store earlier varieties that cannot be processed immediately to ensure a smooth transition. What happens in the Palatinate region over the coming week and how much volume is still needed for shipping outside the region will also be decisive," concludes Kopf.
For more information:
Andreas Kopf
Ernst Kopf GmbH & Co KG
Warehouse: Im Unteren Stollen 11
79189 Bad Krozingen
Tel. +49 (0) 76 33 - 12 83 1
Fax + 49 (0) 76 33 - 15 07 94
[email protected]
www.kopf-landhandel.de
www.dermarkgraefler.de
