Good and bad years take turns in the potato sector and this year promises good potato prices for the growers. As long as nothing happens outside of the market to mess things up 2012 should supply the required profit margins to compensate for the disastrous year of 2011.
Looking at the price movements of the past four harvest years it becomes clear very quickly that this situation repeats itself all the time. In 2009 a price of
Euro70/ton applied for Jaerla. A year later this increased to Euro100/ton. Last year the price was Euro 65, whilst this year it increased to Euro170/ton.
The success of this harvest season depends on various factors: the first is the lack of reliable fields in the Castilla y León province. This results, in combination with smaller sales in Adalusia and Extremadura, in a relatively quiet period at the beginning of the season.
Also the production under contract increased, as a result of which the independent production is smaller and the market is not being satisfied so quickly. However, it will take a little time before it will be known what will happen when the French potatoes enter the market. The yield will be about 35,000 to 40,000 kg. per HA.
At the moment prices are profitable for the growers. This forms a sharp contrast in comparison with the previous season. Then a ton of potatoes only produced Euro 50 to Euro 60.
Source: Tribunasalamanca.com