Potato market springs up, where is the ceiling?

Local stock market prices have also fallen in the Netherlands, but not nearly as much as the futures market suggested last week (last week the futures market closed at 19,50 euros). Stability therefore seems to be returning to the market.

The main reasons for this are the current demand from England, the demand from Southern Europe for potatoes under 20,00 euros, the limited supply of free potatoes and the persistently changeable spring weather. Now that we are in the first week of March, it is becoming increasingly clear that it will not be a super early spring. It will remain changeable for the next 14 days, meaning we won't be in the country until mid-March at the earliest.

The futures market still looks very much like 2012, with last week's downward movement identical to that of 2012. It will have to be exports that give the market a new boost. The processing industry is not very active on the market and seems to have most of the potatoes in position for March.

In recent months it has become clear that a market above 25,00 euros will have to be caused by a new impetus that must come from outside the market, or from obligations that cannot be met.

We do see that the Agria variety seems untouchable in its price formation. Due to the limited availability of this variety, with specific demand from smaller markets (peeling shop, local chip bakers, fresh fries), the prices of this potato variety are at least 3 to 8 euros above the other varieties.