There are still quite a few potatoes stored in the EU-5 that were destined for the processing industry. In the United Kingdom, the situation is extra special, because the industry has mainly processed potatoes from this spring that were harvested late. Stocks have therefore remained untouched for a long time.
Joachim Ruckwied, chairman of the Deutschen Bauernverbands (DBV, the German LTO) estimates that growers in Germany still have 350.000 tons of French fries potatoes in storage. This means that the stock is considerably lower than what colleagues in other EU-5 countries still have, although this quantity is also a problem. Ruckwied calls on the Landwirtschaftlichen Rentenbank, the German agricultural development agency, to take measures so that affected farmers do not get into financial problems. He says that in one interview with the Tagesspiegel. Ruckwied has hope in the European commitment that Brussels will intervene.
British stock
In the United Kingdom, the potato supply is even larger, according to figures from the government service AHDB Potato. At the end of March the stock stood at 1,19 million tons. This is a fifth more than last year and 5% above the 5-year average. The stock of fries and potato chips is estimated at 417.000 tons. This is almost a third more than last year and good for 90.000 tons.
This high stock is caused by processors giving priority to late harvested potatoes. Due to the lack of frost this winter, potato growers were able to harvest their remaining plots throughout the winter and spring. Chip manufacturers in particular have still processed these. For chip producers, the quality was usually no longer sufficient, which put more pressure on supply in this segment. Some of the fries potatoes move to the table segment, but this does not relieve much pressure.
Fish & chips
More and more fish & chip shops on the British island are slowly reopening. The stock of fresh chip potatoes is about 10% below the 5-year average and approximately equal to the stock last year. Despite the fact that shops can do business again, the sector does not expect consumption to quickly return to pre-corona crisis levels. The sector is currently operating at 50% of its normal capacity.
In the UK, the potato area is expected to shrink this season. Last year the area also decreased to 120.820 hectares. In 10 years, the area has already decreased by 16,5%. Factories are entering into fewer contracts, growers are planting fewer potatoes to reduce harvest risk or are deterred by high seed potato prices. Difficulties with foliage killing and germination inhibition are also reasons to grow other crops.
Germans grow more
Based on current information, the German market agency AMI does not expect the potato area in Germany to decrease. Only on a small scale have growers exchanged chip potatoes for chip or table varieties. AMI concludes that potato growers sometimes expand their acreage (significantly) and do so for the free market. Arable farmers have no alternatives and the spring weather was favorable for planting. Last year, the consumption potato area in Germany amounted to 195.772 hectares, an increase of almost 6%.