The sweet potato season has gone well in the first half of 2025, says Martin Oudenes of My Roots & More. "Last autumn the market was terrible for a few months, with prices even dropping below production costs. But from January onward, prices kept climbing, and they held up well until June."
In Egypt, the market shows two dynamics: "Some growers usually stop exporting at the end of the year, while the larger producers keep expanding and are now nearly year-round in the market," Martin explains. "The new Egyptian harvest has started in a strong market, and prices have stayed fairly stable so far. But we do expect a good volume to hit the market in September." Sweet potatoes are packed in 6 kg, 18 kg, and 600 kg bins.
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"The Egyptian pound has strengthened somewhat, so growers face higher costs and need to achieve higher prices. Quality-wise, the Egyptian crop looks good. Orange varieties Bellevue and Beauregard still dominate, followed in September by some white-fleshed types."
In October and November, the American sweet potato season will kick off again. "For now, EU tariffs remain at 3% as no countermeasures have been taken on the sanctions. Still, American exporters are feeling more competition from Egypt. Especially before January, many customers don't find the US product attractive, since there's plenty of Egyptian supply available."
As for European production, Martin sees little competition. "Dutch sweet potatoes aren't sought after by processors, and you really need the processing industry to market your entire crop." Still, he sees plenty of growth potential. "Sweet potatoes are unique thanks to their nutritional profile and natural sweetness, so think of them as something between a carrot and a potato."
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While sweet potatoes remain Martin's specialty, My Roots & More also offers a broader range. "The Egyptian onion season went well, and we've now moved over to the Dutch harvest, with both red and yellow onions. This summer, we also sold young coconuts from Vietnam and Thailand – a product we keep in stock year-round, but it's especially popular in summer. There's nothing better than relaxing in the sun with a fresh coconut in hand!"
The assortment also includes garlic from Spain and China, and the muscat and butternut squash season in Spain and Portugal is now in full swing.
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Working from his home office in Stolwijk, with warehouse partners like Broom Frio in Ridderkerk and Deltafresh in Benthuizen, Martin looks back positively on the company's development after one and a half years. "I supply customers all across Europe, from wholesalers to re-exporters and retailers. We've built up several strong brands, and customers keep coming back for them. Collaboration and growing together while enjoying your work – that's what matters most. Thanks to our low-cost structure and efficiency, we can offer customers who hop on board a first-class seat by the window at the price of a second-class ticket!"
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For more information:
Martin Oudenes
My Roots & More
Benedenheulseweg 3
2821 LR Stolwijk
Tel: +31 182717180
Mob: +31 622442981
[email protected]
www.myrootsandmore.nl
