The prices of Spanish storage potatoes continue to rise and Agria is now paying more than €40 per 100 kilos. There is a visible price increase of about €5 to €8, depending on the variety. Even the French processors are now shopping potatoes in the country.
La Lonja de León market service notes In mid-February a price of €41 per 100 kilos for Agria, Desirée sells €35 per 100 kilos and Hermes €27 per 100 kilos. At the end of January, prices increased by €5 to €8 per 100 kilos, bringing the price to new heights for this time of year.
In the Netherlands, the PotatoNL quotation has a price of €30,50 to €34 per 100 kilos for Agria. Fries suitable for other destinations cost between €32 and €34.
Processors buy potatoes
The shortage on the (Central) European market ensures that Spanish potato prices continue to rise. Even French processors come to Spain to buy potatoes. They cannot find a good quality product in their own country.
Thanks to the early spring, Spanish potato growers were able to plant early. The first skin-resistant batches are expected to come onto the market from southern Spain in mid-April. On the other hand, no official figures on the area are available. Various insiders expect the area to remain the same or increase slightly compared to last year.
More chip varieties
The biggest problem for Spanish potato growers is that there was not enough seed potato available to expand. The seed potatoes mainly come from the Netherlands. That is why sometimes some changes have to be made between varieties.
Approximately the same situation applies in neighboring Portugal, which means that the area here also remains the same. Fewer table potatoes and more French fries varieties will be grown in both countries next season.