Japan sees recovering potato supplies
Potato stocks are 20% higher on the year at Tokyo's Ota market. Shipments began arriving in April from prefectures such as Shizuoka in Japan's main island and Nagasaki in the country's south, areas that experienced solid harvests due to favorable weather this spring. "There isn't a potato shortage at the moment," says Tokyo Seika, Japan's largest fruit and vegetable wholesaler.
Last year's shortage resulted from a series of typhoons that hit the northernmost island of Hokkaido, which produces 80% of Japan's potatoes. Potatoes from Hokkaido currently on store shelves were harvested last fall.
In the first week of July, wholesale potato prices were 10% lower year on year, with 10kg selling for 1,296 yen ($11.30). Retail prices were down too. Potatoes are selling for 60-70 yen apiece at supermarkets in Tokyo, a drop of 10% that reflects the "growing shipments," says Tokyo's Akidai supermarket. Despite the lower prices, sales have been slow.
source: asia.nikkei.com
