A 12% increase in potato volume, as a result of an increased acreage, has not prevented Aviko Potato's land-based potato pool from achieving an excellent result (given the market conditions).
There is none for the 2019 harvest year talk of a 'fat twenty-something', but given the market conditions, the only chip potato from the farm-raised pool has done well. The toppers were the Zorba, Innovator and Agria varieties. These 3 varieties average €13,57 per 100 kilos. The group below (Miranda, Lady Amerilla, Victoria and Amora) comes to €13,07 and Fontane is at €12,57 per 100 kilos.
Eastern growing areas
These prices are exclusive of VAT and also without quality premiums. The pool period ran from week 33 to week 44 (August 12 to November 1). The cultivation area is spread from southeastern to northeastern Netherlands on sandy soil. The potatoes are less suitable for long-term storage, or growers do not have sufficient storage capacity for this.
According to ATC, interest in the potato pool is increasing and therefore the volume is increasing. An increase in area resulted in 12% more product this season, compared to 2018, which was affected by drought. Those who could irrigate had a clear advantage in yield.
Result above stock exchange listing
Compared to the average stock exchange listing and Belgapom listing, the pool has performed above average. Compared to the average price (€13,07 per 100 kilos), this pool scores €0,92 per 100 kilos higher. However, if the weighted average is taken into account, based on the volume per variety, the average pool price is €12,90 per 100 kilos, due to the large Fontane share. The difference is then €0,75 per 100 kilos.
However, PotatoNL's category 1 listing started on September 11. The Aviko pool had already been running for several weeks. The pool is also doing well compared to Belgapom for other varieties. The average quote is €10,81, which means the plus here is a hefty €2,09.
Challenges
Market developments were somewhat turbulent, the pool committee wrote. Expectations were initially very high, after the previous season and the summer heat. The European area was also larger. It was therefore difficult for the pool to choose a position, according to the press release. Ultimately, the drought mainly affected growers who were unable to irrigate, resulting in significantly lower yields. During the harvest, the underwater weight and punch blue were challenges for Aviko.