The potato market is currently showing a downward trend. "You always expect prices to drop at this time of year, but this year's harvest has started off very well, about 14 days earlier than usual. We now have nice, skin-set batches available as early as mid-July. As a result, supply currently exceeds demand, and not all batches coming out of the ground are finding buyers right away," says Kees Bijl of Bijl Aardappelhandel from Sint-Annaland.
© Bijl Aardappelen bv
"The prices of early potatoes now average around 20 cents, depending on variety and quality. Prices will continue to decline slightly each week. And this isn't just happening here; it's the same across Western Europe. Add to that the fact that the holiday season is in full swing, and it's clear in the sales figures. For instance, retail demand is limited. However, this week we already began supplying skin-set potatoes to supermarkets, and we will now increase those volumes," says Kees.
"We hope that exports will also pick up now. Initially, this will mainly come from destinations such as the Caribbean and Africa, as Europe will have a sufficient supply of its own for the time being. However, the old crop is still being exported at low prices, which makes it difficult to market the new crop. We hope that our lower price level will help us be more competitive, but we haven't seen that yet. More and more countries are becoming familiar with early potato cultivation. For example, there is also supply from Egypt."
A bright spot in the market, according to the potato trader, is the quality of the new crop. "The potatoes have a bright colour and we generally have access to a nice, coarse grading. However, we do see large differences in yield. Here in Tholen, yields are good thanks to the availability of irrigation, but further into Zeeland, where irrigation isn't possible, we're also seeing very moderate yields."
For more information:
Kees Bijl
Bijl Aardappelen
Langeweg 11a
4697 RE Sint-Annaland
Tel: +31 (0)166 612850
[email protected]
www.bijlaardappelenbv.nl
