Late spring in the United Kingdom (UK) may be a blessing for potato growers. The stock is still substantial. The sector has done its best to process as much product as possible. We succeeded, but a large stock remains.
AHDB Potato estimates that on April 1, 1,3 million tons of potatoes were still in stock on the British island. That level is the same as in 2015, after the large harvest of 2014. The stock of potatoes continues its trend and also recorded higher figures in November and January, as a result of the enormous production.
More processing
The UK potato sector has processed 4,7 million tonnes so far this season, the largest volume since the 2011/2012 season. AHDB notices that more potatoes have been purchased between January and March compared to previous years. This may have to do with the fact that arable farmers no longer expect long-term storage to pay off. Quality also plays a role this season.
Cold and wet spring
There may still be hope for the potato growers who still have potatoes in stock. The planting season is on average 2 to 3 weeks behind last year and some companies are even still planting early potatoes. In 2017, a dry and warm April ensured that planting went very smoothly. This year throw heavy showers spanner in the works.
According to the potato organization, it is normal when 60% of the potatoes are in the ground at the end of April. This year it is considerably less, although we do not dare to give a percentage yet. Aviko Potato estimated progress in week 16 at around 15%. Besides the wetness, it's in the UK too mainly cold been.
Clean slate
The British sector hopes that a late spring and more tonnes delivered in the first quarter will give the market a tidier character in the final phase of the 2017/2018 season. This ensures that the 2018 harvest starts with a clean slate and there may be tension in the transition between the old and new harvest.
(Text continues below the tweet)
In the warm south-west of England, planting potatoes for the main harvest is 4 to 5 weeks behind average. This is also the case elsewhere in the west of the country. In eastern England, where most potatoes are grown, the delay varies from 2 to 4 weeks.