Inside Potatoes
A quarter of potatoes still to be harvested in Belgium
With the month of November in sight, the potato harvest in Belgium has progressed by more than 70%, according to reports. That means that there is still more than a quarter in the country.
Would you like to continue reading this article?
Become a subscriber and get instant access
Choose the subscription that suits youThe current conditions seem to be improving slightly compared to just under a week ago. This is due to a continuous period of dry days. However, growers continue to report that the rate of harvesting is too slow. The weather report for the next ten days is now being watched with suspicion, which predicts few dry days.
Various growers are now wondering out loud how and whether all the potatoes will be harvested. In the absence of frost, potatoes can last a long time in the ground, but the quality continues to decline.
Despite all the harvest problems, the market price of the most dominant variety Fontane remains at €12,00 per 100 kilos. For example, PCA/FIWAP quoted €12,00 for both Fontane and Challenger. For Bintje this was €11,00 to €15,00, with the top end of the quotation being sales to shell companies. The mood of the market has been described as 'price-bearing' for a number of weeks.
However, the quotations do not yet show a higher price level. Yet the demand for potatoes seems to remain high. The factories are reportedly running at full capacity and are trying to keep the purchasing price stable for as long as possible. The fact that in some cases she therefore has to cover a somewhat greater distance (read: loading potatoes outside national borders) is an added bonus.
