"Don't give your potatoes away to the industry at any cost." The French growers' association UNPT gives its members that message. Read more? Subscribe to 'Potato Market'.
The yields are very similar to the many kilos of 2014. Then the price reacted very negatively to this, with a level of €20 per tonne for French fries potatoes in France. This makes the current price level of €55 per tonne still relatively attractive for Bintje. The RNM is trading unchanged at this level this week. €60 per tonne is paid for Fontane. Other varieties are at a level of €50 per tonne.
Situation not comparable to 2014
According to the Union Nationale des Producteurs de Pommes de Terre (UNPT) it is not justified to draw a comparison with 2014. "The situation is completely different from 3 years ago," it wrote in a statement. "The yield level is in line with the 10-year average. However, the yield varies greatly from year to year. The increase in acreage is parallel to the increase in processing capacity in Europe. Moreover, the harvest is far from over."
Sales as animal feed or in digester
The UNPT also criticizes the retail sector for aggressively lowering prices in supermarkets and stunting offers. "The situation is unfair and hostile," it says. That is why the French organization is calling on growers to stop 'giving away' potatoes at any price. It destroys the market and undermines the work of the growers' association. UNPT hopes to achieve fair prices for potato growers. Small growers are especially guilty of this.
At the current prices, it is better to sell potatoes as animal feed or to send them to the digester, according to the French organization. "By eliminating part of the proceeds in this way, the supply and demand situation will hopefully be brought back into balance."