Taking advantage of the impact of the Guatemalan potato moth, a very harmful pest that has settled down in the north of Galicia and part of Asturias, France is selling large volumes to distribution channels in the area. Producer organizations and agricultural unions have noted how, over the last few weeks, Galician supermarkets have apparently been selling a lot more French potatoes, although they are packed in Galicia.
The official data corroborate that feeling. Last year, France exported 518,000 tonnes of potatoes to Spain, almost 5% more than in 2015. It is the highest figure ever since the Spanish Federation of Associations of Producers and Exporters of Fruits, Vegetables, Flowers and Plants (Fepex) keeps records. In 2013, when there was no record of the pest, the figure reached 425,000 tonnes. Back then, French potatoes accounted for 60% of all imports arriving in Spain, while now this percentage has reached 71%, according to the same statistical source. The rest corresponds to imports from the Netherlands and the UK, which are also shipping larger volumes, but at a much lower level (barely a tenth of what France is shipping).
Potato exports generated slightly over 146 million Euro for French producers. The increase in turnover over the previous year (2015) is very relevant: 62% more. That is, the product was sold at a significantly higher price.
This move from France is having a direct impact on the Galician market, which is the territory in which this tuber is most consumed, and also the one with the largest cultivated acreage (20,000 hectares) in Spain. However, this greater presence does not appear to be a cause for concern in large producing areas.
According to FEPEX, the province of Ourense, the main production area in Galicia and the third most important in Spain, exported about 36,000 tonnes last year, compared to just over 40,000 in 2015.
Source: lavozdegalicia.es
