Many growers who had started the seed potato harvest again, rained out on Thursday 28 September. Read more? Subscribe to 'Potato Market'.
Although it is still early in the export season, trade is starting slowly. The tendency is for prices to be higher than last year. As a result, buyers are not yet ready to make a sale deal and are taking a wait-and-see attitude. Customers who now want to buy free varieties are choosing an alternative: France or Scotland.
Availability in France
A trader notes that orders are filled by French colleagues. According to him, France will load additional quantities. Perhaps because of a slightly more favorable price, but more because the seed potatoes are available there. Where one trader says that this is above the market, another trader does not notice that much.
Consequences of flooding
It is still questionable how the seed potatoes, from plots with a lot of water, are holding up. The consequences will be variable, many more export companies do not yet dare to say about it. Also because it is not clear whether everything will come out of the ground. They mainly hope that nothing too strange will surface afterwards, but the expectation is that problems will arise. For individual growers, who have experienced significant flooding, this can turn out to be disastrous.
Rainy periods continue
In any case, it is a fact that seed potatoes are difficult to obtain. What was cleared before the rain is available, but the batches after that are not yet. It takes 6 weeks before these lots can be loaded for export. In addition, today many growers have had to stop again and we will have rainy periods in the coming days.
EU export less
However, trade is not negative. Good money is paid for Spunta, which is now available. In terms of volume, overseas exports will do no less than last year, an exporter expects. However, according to him, the European market will probably be less. Even though EU exports are still a long way off, the low consumer price usually leads to a declining demand for seed potatoes.
Lowering score less bad
It's a little better reduction percentage in the follow-up. Inspection service NAK has so far reduced 18,7%. That is a decrease from last week. This concerns 30,3% of the total area to be examined.
A few more beds in the Spunta, then on to the Challenger seedbeds. #field #harvest2017 #foggy pic.twitter.com/5oprfaPDDT
— Jack Simons (@_JackSimons) September 26, 2017