The most recent stock measurement by the British potato organization AHDB Potato shows that stock levels among potato growers are at an expected level. Looking at the below average sales, between November and January, the question is whether potato processors have mainly used their own stocks.
Research by AHDB Potato shows that on February 1, 1,9 million tons of ware potatoes were kept in stock by arable farmers. The stock among processors and traders is not recorded. This means that the level is the same as in the 2015-2016 season and 350.000 tons below the level in the 2014-2015 season. Only after the 2012 harvest was the potato stock still 200.000 tons lower.
Despite the fact that AHDB is a bit skeptical in terms of the figures, it is clear that the situation on the British island does not differ significantly from the picture on the continent. The harvest was low, the stock relatively high. In November, 2,9 million tons of product were available. Between December 1 and February 1, approximately one million tons of potatoes were sold, delivered and processed. For the 2015-2016 season, the stock on 1 December was 3,2 million tons. In the same two-month period, 1,24 million tons of potatoes were processed.
AHDB attributes the lower uptake of inventories to price developments. Buyers are hesitant because the price level is high. Potato growers are also waiting because they believe that the price level should be higher. The organization therefore estimates that buyers mainly used up their own stocks in December and January. There are no numbers. It is also not clear how much of the 1,9 million tons is free and how much has already been sold.
For the third and final stock survey – to be held at the end of March – it is estimated that a proportional picture will be shown. The harvest is the lowest since 2012, and that picture will become clear again this spring, it thinks. AHDB will announce the next stock measurement in mid-May. The reference date for this is the end of March.