In April, Dutch potato processors processed 40% fewer potatoes than a year earlier. The Association for the Potato Processing Industry (Vavi) hopes that the low point is over and that processors can cautiously look upwards. 'Factories are making every effort to help with the current surplus.'
In the month of March processed Dutch potato processors more than 290.000 tons. A month later that level fell to 192.500 tonnes. Compared to a year earlier, which in itself was an extreme season, this is a decrease of 40%. This is evident from the processing figures that processing organization Vavi publishes monthly.
It is not the lowest processing figure of the Vavi publication. In July 2013, 184.400 tons were processed, followed by July 2008 with 187.700 tons. This is the quiet 'changeover month' between old and new harvest. It is the lowest processing figure for the month of May.
Of the potato volume processed in April, 73.600 tons came from other countries (38,2%). Processors have turned this into 71.300 tons of pre-baked product and more than 20.000 tons of other products.
Maximum effort
The freezing capacity at processors has been almost fully utilized, which has forced production to be reduced, Vavi writes. "The figures also show that the industry continues to make every effort to process the enormous mountain of consumption potatoes as regularly as possible," says chairman Hylke Brunt. He continues: "I sincerely hope that the industry can gently recover in the coming months and thus make a further contribution to solving the surplus situation."
Despite this hope, the expectation remains that a large part of the current potato stock cannot be processed regularly. This means that the processors are heading for a very loss-making situation regarding the processing of the 2019 harvest. One that is colored deep red. Between May 2019 and April 2020, processors processed a total of almost 3,7 million tons of potatoes processed. In the 12 months before that this was 3,9 million tonnes.