There is a risk of a shortage of chips in the United Kingdom (UK). On the European mainland, part of the potatoes has drowned. Experts in the UK therefore expect a high demand for English potatoes, but this will not cover all shortages.
One of the causes is the floods that have affected parts of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. According to estimates by the Irish Farmers' Association, 1 hectares of agricultural land has been damaged as a result.
Perfect storm
In a market report published last week, Lynx Purchasing (a buyer for the catering industry) speaks of a 'perfect storm'. A combination of inflation, labor shortages, weather extremes, Brexit and corona are causing shortages and rising prices. This means that frozen French fries in particular are in danger of becoming scarce.
“The floods in Europe have hit arable farmers and chip manufacturers hard,” said Rachel Dobson, director of Lynx, in The Sun. "Many potatoes are grown in this region for frozen fries. The shortage that may arise due to the loss of potatoes causes a domino effect. For pubs and restaurants, this means that the usual suppliers no longer always supply the requested quantity of fries for able to deliver the usual price."
No top harvest expected in the UK for the time being
The Daily Mail reports that arable farmers in the UK are not expecting a top harvest. The potatoes suffer, among other things, from high phytophthora pressure. It is still too early to make definitive statements, but the hectare yield and quality seem to be average at best this season.
In the 2018 and 2019 harvest, English farmers faced low yields due to heavy rain followed by heat waves. 2020 was another moderate year financially due to the lockdown, which resulted in much lower demand for potatoes and fries, causing prices to plummet.
Boerenbusiness organizes a round table discussion at the beginning of September about the future of potato cultivation and the chip market. Prominent companies in the sector are joining us. Do you have questions for the experts on this subject? Send them to before August 25th d.ballast@boerenbusiness. Nl