The United Kingdom (UK) has been suffering from low potato prices for several years, but prices are expected to recover this year. The reason for this is the hard, long winter in the country.
The UK is currently experiencing an oversupply of potatoes. This is the largest stock since 2010, which was estimated at 2,4 million tons in January. These hefty figures have been going on for years an oppressive effect had on the price.
Increasing demand for potatoes
Several analysts expect that late spring can support the price. This ensures that the main crop of potatoes has only just gone into the ground, and that the potatoes that have already been planted are lagging behind. This means that the UK is already lagging behind in previous years.
Normally that is bad news, but it has a major influence on the prices for last season's potatoes. Because next season's harvest will be late, it is expected that there will be a high demand for last season's potatoes. According to Produce Investments, this will cause a rising potato price.
Seed potatoes less popular
Fewer potatoes will also likely be planted in the UK. The organization reports this based on the fact that there is less demand for seed potatoes. They notice that sales of seed potatoes (July to December) is lower than in previous years.
The impact of the oversupply on the market is currently causing growers to invest less in seed potatoes. It is therefore expected that next year's harvest will be lower.