A big push this season in the Spunta seed potato area. For the first time, there is no longer any growth in the largest export variety, but rather a significant contraction. About the reasons and which breeds fill this gap, spoke Boerenbusiness with various seed potato houses.
Things were going very well for Spunta for years. "Last year, however, there were many fluctuations in the price of the Spunta," says HZPC director Gerard Backx. 'It wasn't a success for everyone. This partly had to do with Algeria. Then everyone realizes the risk of such a breed. Especially if you do not participate in a pool, but act as a free grower. But I don't know whether it is mainly the free growers who have reduced production, or whether there are also pools that have taken a step back.'
Peter Ton, managing director of Stet Holland, is not surprised. 'We expected this decline. When the seed potato growers had to make the decision about what to plant for the 2017 harvest (November 2016), there was great price pressure on Spunta class A in particular. Many class A lots were even cleared from consumption, because there was hardly any demand. Pool prices for Spunta Class A will also be lower.”
Cultivation of Spunta is risky and expensive
The situation made growers realize that growing Spunta is risky. Ton: 'There is good demand for class E suitable for export, but if the lot is reduced or there are problems with scab, the depreciation is very large. Add to this that the cultivation of Spunta is expensive: a lot of seed potatoes in the ground and modest yields in size 28/55.'
The market revived again at the beginning of January, when it was announced that top buyer Algeria was purchasing 20.000 tonnes additional quota released. "But the relief in the class A market came too late to completely remove this uncertainty," says the Stet director.
Decrease in export varieties
In total there are this season more seed potatoes planted. Is there a replacement export variety or will the gap be filled by chip varieties? Ton: 'The question is whether there are enough alternative varieties to make up for the shortage of Spunta. The area expansion in the Netherlands is entirely due to the French fry varieties. In fact, white-skinned varieties for overseas export have decreased in area.' While many overseas customers prefer Spunta. Stet Holland speaks of an interesting situation, because to what extent will our customers accept alternative varieties?
Oil prices, political unrest and instability
Ton further points out that uncertainty for overseas exports has also increased due to low oil prices (less hard currency available) and other political unrest and instability. Competitor HZPC has its own variety that is in the same segment as the Spunta and must take over.
Yet Backx does not see the Spunta movement as being driven by a movement of the Spunta to another breed. 'It's "Do I grow more or less Spunta?" If I grow less, I will see which other variety I can grow seed potatoes. This does not have to be in the same sales market segment. It may be that those growers choose a completely different type of variety.'
Free farmers Spunta-af
According to insiders, another cause for the shrinkage could be the fact that Agrico has chosen to exchange Spunta acreage with Fontane. Director Jan van Hoogen says: 'We have indeed taken a step back in the Spunta area, but I think the total shrinkage of 800 hectares is a lot. All the tensions with Algeria and Libya and the low price have made growers decide to grow less Spunta. Especially free farmers.' Space had to be made for chip varieties. Agrico is expanding 500 hectares, much of it in fries.