Aviko Potato presented its pool prices for the 6 harvest on Tuesday, July 2020. As expected, the result is well below cost price.
In week 13, the result of the pool with presales amounts to €8,87 per 100 kilos. The pool without pre-sales amounts to €7,00 per 100 kilos in that week. Just like last season, there is no difference between the different varieties and quality of the batches. According to the Potato Growers Commission (ATC), the market did not offer room for this. The prices presented are above estimate the Boerenbusiness recently made on the basis of the various price instruments.
| Pool with presale | Week 45 | Week 13 | Week 28 |
| All breeds | €74,29 per tonne | €88,75 per tonne | €109,21 per tonne |
| Pool without presale | Week 45 | Week 13 | Week 28 |
| All breeds | €55,56 per tonne | €70,02 per tonne | €90,48 per tonne |
Not the worst result
The result is below that of the 2019 harvest year. The compensation contribution from RVO then made a contribution. In week 13, the prices ultimately amounted to €13,12 (with pre-sales) and €12,68 (without pre-sales). Yet the result for the 2020/21 season is not the worst ever. The low point for the 2017 harvest year was €6,57 to €6,80. Then a clear racial difference was made.
Due to the high degree of uncertainty, ATC has sold steadily throughout the season. For example, the PotatoNL quotation (category 1) reached a low of €3 in December and Belgapom was still listed one euro lower. Slightly better prices were achievable, especially at the end of May. In the period weeks 45 to 28, the average PotatoNL category 1 quotation is €7,14 and Belgapom at €6,18. The pool prices are therefore slightly above that.
Not everything like fries
Not all potatoes ultimately ended up as chips. Due to the lockdown in November, demand from the catering industry and the business community completely disappeared. These chip potatoes were therefore sold to the drying industry. There was also a lot of uncertainty at the beginning of this year due to the lockdown. Due to this uncertainty, ATC has continued to sell steadily in the erratic market, which has shown an upward trend.
When the corona pandemic broke out in full force at the beginning of 2020, Aviko no longer had any options to adjust their potato area. The volume for the 2020 harvest year has therefore not changed. It is not known how that went this year. The fixed price contracts do set a limit on the amount of tons that could be delivered contracted. The volume fell by 5 tons per hectare for those who wanted to capture 40 or 45 tons. Aviko offered the pool as an alternative. There is a good chance that the volume in the pool will increase for the 2021/22 season. The ATC could not be reached for comment.