The current market for early potatoes is literally on the brink. This week PCA/Fiwap lowered the quotation of early potatoes by 0,75 euros per 100 kilograms to 2,00 to 2,50. It was stated that there would be no demand in the market.
There is therefore no place in the regular market for the supply of free potatoes. There would be interest from the forage market. However, the bid for sales to this segment currently does not exceed €1 per 100 kilograms. With regard to the early potatoes, there is the concern that the freshly harvested potatoes are not suitable for the silage.
Not more than average
The yields of the early varieties are no more than average, although the growth curve has deflected somewhat in recent weeks. The harvest of early potatoes has in fact started too late, which has resulted in a considerable increase in volume that the market is not waiting for.
Processors have long continued with contract potatoes from the 2019 harvest that, in view of all the problems caused by corona, would have been better off falling under the government-established scheme. Because the industry was ultimately unable to bring in the contracted potatoes, the market for next season has suffered an even bigger dent than it already had.
In addition to bulldozing the early potatoes, the stock of processed product has also increased further. The conclusion is that by excluding contract potatoes from the 2019 harvest, the sector has been done a disservice, which, as already mentioned, makes the starting position even worse than it already is.