Potato planting is currently underway in Castile-Leon, although the activities have slowed down in recent days due to the low temperatures. The earliest plantings started at the beginning of the month and about 40% of the total acreage may now be already planted, especially in the areas of Salamanca and Valladolid.
For this campaign, the potato acreage is expected to be somewhat greater than in the previous season, when it reached 19,879 hectares, which yielded a production of 853,914 tonnes. This campaign, it should exceed 20,000 hectares, mostly because of the good prices recorded in the last two years, which have encouraged the producers to invest more in the crop.
By the end of March or early April, depending on the weather, the planting should already be completed, with the exception of the late varieties and some parts of the northern area of the region. Given how the planting will be so concentrated in time, the harvest will likely follow suit, so there is a chance we may see the traditional supply spikes that cause prices to sink. Last year, prices were good because the harvest was very staggered, as spring rains caused interruptions in the plantings, forcing them to be staggered, as well.
Many growers are betting on potatoes for processing due to the security provided by the contracts signed with the industry. These contracts are currently being negotiated. According to industry sources, the industry is bidding between 12-13 cents/kg, while the grower does not want the price to drop below 14 cents.
Other producers prefer potatoes for consumption. In this case, the implementation of contracts is not as common as in the case of potatoes for the processing industry. For potatoes of varieties intended for washing and distribution, contracts of about 15 cents/kg +/- 50% of the variation of this price with the market price at the time of harvest are being signed.
Source: agrodigital.com
