This year's Spanish potato season is still delayed. Poor weather conditions during the planting period caused delays, and although the first signs are being monitored cautiously, it remains too early to draw definitive conclusions. Employees from Warnez recently travelled to Spain to monitor the situation closely.
"They saw that planting has clearly slowed in many places," Stijn De Pourcq of Warnez
told us. "At the time of their visit, it was simply too early to properly assess what that means for the final yield." Stijn himself will soon travel there for further follow-up.
© Warnez
What is certain, he says, is that the planting season has been difficult. Plants were planted later than usual, and there are even plots that were not planted at all. At first glance, the damage to what was already in the ground does not appear too severe, partly because not much had been planted yet when the weather conditions deteriorated.
Regionally, moreover, the differences are considerable. "The Seville region has been hardest hit by the poor conditions," says Stijn. "In other areas, such as Cartagena, we are actually seeing a fairly normal progression of the season so far. That also makes the whole situation difficult to estimate."
Less volume expected
Although it remains uncertain, Stijn expects a smaller supply from Spain. "I do expect fewer Spanish potatoes to reach the market, but that still needs to be confirmed in the coming weeks," he says. "If weather conditions remain favourable, there could still be a recovery period of two to three weeks. That could offset part of the delay."
However, the late planting season also carries risks. "If everything shifts forward, the harvest will also take place later," Stijn continues. "Should the heat arrive early, it could create problems with insect pressure in the fields before harvesting can take place. But we are not at that stage yet."
For now, supply remains limited. "At the moment, only small volumes are available from Spain. These are specific programs, but larger quantities are expected from mid-May at the earliest."
Switch to new harvest
Will the start of the Spanish season still be disrupted by a challenging local potato market? As we know, a large volume is still in storage, so will this not only increase supply? "The transition to new Spanish potatoes will definitely be a discussion point. There is still a lot of old crop available, but quality declines the longer it remains in storage."
© Warnez
According to him, the switch is therefore inevitable for some customers. "We now have several customers who want the quality of the new Spanish harvest, and we want to meet that demand. Then it becomes necessary to switch," Stijn explains. "With old potatoes, you see deterioration over time, and that difference becomes obvious. For certain applications, that is simply no longer desirable. Then you have to make choices."
For now, the situation remains dynamic and requires close monitoring. "At this stage, it is mainly a matter of continuing to monitor everything closely and staying in daily contact with suppliers. The problems were mainly caused by the weather in December, January, and February, when conditions were too wet and cold for proper planting. That delayed the entire season, and we are only now really starting to see the effects."
For more information:
Stijn De Pourcq
Warnez
Mariënhovestraat 6
8700 Tielt, Belgium
[email protected]
www.warnezpotatoes.be
