“Significantly fewer free potatoes on lazy and expensive market”

The potato market has had high prices all season. “For us it is our first year after launching Flevostar Potato, and it is a special year at that,” says William Verhage. “The market currently might be somewhat lazy and expensive, but on the other hand, there is work to be done in every field. If you manage to be distinctive, buyers will know how to find you.”

“There is a demand for good quality potatoes on the domestic market, and good prices are paid for those as well. We are starting to run out of the great quality though, and that is why we have to bridge another period before the volumes of imported potatoes arrive,” William continues. “Industry is keeping calm because the contracts have run their course. But I personally think that if you can still get 24-25 cents for your potatoes at this moment, you cannot be doing much wrong. However, there are significantly fewer free potatoes than there were last year.”

“We currently export mainly to Switzerland and Spain within Europe, but it is becoming more obvious that Spain is starting to struggle with the high prices. But we are talking about prices of 40 to 45 cent — not counting delivery costs and dependent on packaging. Additionally, we are already supplying red-skinned potatoes to the Balkans, and demand for white-skinned potatoes is also starting to grow now. Poland has plenty of their own harvest, but not of the quality supermarkets want. That is why I expect Poland and other Eastern European countries to be on the market more often within four weeks,” William explains.

“The first Moroccan potatoes are on the market in small numbers, but other than that, there is not much new harvest available yet. The first Santé from Malta is expected late March. The Spanish harvest was delayed by about four weeks. That could result in an overlap with the supply of the first Dutch potatoes. While we are all very positive right now, that could throw a bit of a spanner in the works, but hopefully that scenario will not come true,” William concludes.