Inside: Potato Market
Free Belgian stock lower, but more in storage
Potato growers in Wallonia and Flanders have less free product in stock than was the case on 1 February last year. However, the total potato stock is higher. The share of contract potatoes is the largest in seven years. Are factories hoarding?
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Choose the subscription that suits youThe total potato stock for the whole of Belgium on 1 February amounted to 2,11 million tons. That was 2,06 million tons a year ago. A difference of more than 45.000 tons. Compared to the five-year average, this is 220.000 tons. However, the free stock is smaller. A total of 611.300 tons. Almost 246.000 tons less than the previous season. That volume has not been that small since the 2011-2012 season. At almost 1,5 million tons, the contracted volume is the largest since the 2010 harvest.
246
thousand tons
Potato organizations Fiwap and Inagro/PCA interviewed a total of 219 potato growers by telephone. Together they account for more than 10.000 hectares of potatoes. 128 farmers from Flanders and 91 in Wallonia. Between the previous stock measurement – at the beginning of November – and the end of January, a total of 723.000 tons were processed by the industry. A record low. In the 2015-2016 season that was more than 950.000 tons. The chips makers mainly get raw materials from France and Germany. Perhaps to have enough bacon on their bones so that they can make it through the second half of the season, when the connection with the new crop is disappointing?
A shift is noticeable between the different breeds. The volume of Bintje has fallen sharply. From 810.000 to 610.000 tons on reference date 1 February. The volume of Fontane is slightly larger: 670.000 tons. That is 30.000 tons more compared to 2015-2016. The volume of other varieties comprises the largest share: 827.000 tons. This mainly concerns Challenger, Marquis, Ramos and Lady Claire.
In addition to the (free) volume, the quality is also important. It disappoints. Growth cracks and damage caused by the dry harvesting conditions result in more tare. The sorting is also finer. As is well known, Fontane in particular suffers from quality problems. The difference between gross and net kilograms can therefore vary. It is estimated that the total harvest in Belgium is 3,62 million tons. 4,5 percent less than a year earlier. Then 3,79 million tons were harvested. The increase in area of 10 percent has thus been more than negated.
