FIWAP (the potato business organization within the Walloon area of Belgium) and PCA (Interprovinciaal Proefcentrum voor de Aardappelteelt) report in its weekly potato market report that the potato harvest in Europe has been sluggish and laborious over the previous week.
Potato tubers are colder than ordinary and subsequently tougher to dry. In Belgium, 15-20% of the realm stays to be harvested. Abroad, estimates range from 25% within the Netherlands, 15% within the Nord/Pas-de-Calais area of France, 10-15% in western and northwestern Germany, and 20% within the United Kingdom, primarily within the east and north.
Important upcoming occasions
The report additionally highlights a number of upcoming occasions within the potato business. The Collège des Producteurs invitations its members to its nineteenth Sectoral Assembly for Field Crops and Potatoes on November 7. The Centre Pilote Pomme de terre will maintain its annual R&D outcomes day on December 13. The eleventh version of French Fry Week in Wallonia will take place from November 6 to 12, celebrating the area’s culinary heritage and the significance of utilizing contemporary, native potatoes within the preparation of French fries.
Potato market developments in Europe
The report additional offers an update on the potato market. Following the MARS venture’s estimation the common potato yield in EU was 35.10 t/ha, barely decrease than final season, however 1.00 t/ha increased than the five-year common of 34.10 t/ha. The estimated yield for Belgium is 40.0 t/ha. On the futures market, potato costs remained secure. On the bodily markets, costs assorted between areas and varieties.
In Belgium, processors usually are not very lively in shopping for on the open market. Intermediaries are somewhat extra lively, in search of dry tons ex-shed. Prices as much as €15.00/q are being provided for dependable export tons.
In the Netherlands there have been combined market indicators final week. For the primary time in a very long time, the NAO didn’t fee industrial classes as a result of a scarcity of settlement between the events. Tension is clearly building out there with the delay within the harvest and unfavorable climate forecasts within the brief time period.
In France, the harvest is dragging on in Nord/Pas-de-Calais and Normandy, the place roughly 15% of the crop stays to be harvested. The business isn’t shopping for greater than is supplied for in earlier contracts and value quotations are little modified.
In Germany, rainfall over the previous 10 days has prevented the top of the harvest for each the contemporary and industrial markets. In the contemporary market, preliminary negotiations for value will increase on desk varieties proceed as growers consider a bonus is required to cut back inventories.
North American developments
This 12 months’s North American crop is the biggest of the previous 5 seasons and will even be extreme, main some growers to go away massive areas unharvested. In Idaho alone, it’s estimated that roughly 500,000 metric tons won’t discover a purchaser. Most of the crop is destined for processing, however there are additionally loads of desk potatoes.
Marketers are looking for extra native and export market alternatives, particularly in areas the place Europeans have gained market share in recent years. The Euro seems to be weakening, which favors European exporters.
Source: FIWAP/PCA
Authors: Pierre Lebrun and Daniel Ryckmans. Please direct any inquiries to [email protected] or [email protected].
