Inside Potatoes
Belgian industry has an eye on free potatoes
Potato processors in Belgium have purchased more free potatoes to start the 2021-2022 processing season. Contract potatoes are used more sparingly. How many free potatoes are still in stock and are there enough potatoes on contract?
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Choose the subscription that suits youPCA has calculate that a total of almost one million tons of potatoes have been processed in Belgium until November 15. This concerns 270.000 tons of early potatoes and 700.000 tons of potatoes from storage. What is striking is that the Belgian chip factories have purchased and processed more free potatoes. This is especially reflected in the figures for the Fontane variety.
Less processed
Looking at the multi-year average, there is a volume of 12% less, 1 million tons in absolute numbers. Compared to last season, this is even 17% less. According to PCA, this has to do with the smaller volume of contract potatoes. This species accounts for 65% of the total volume. The Fontane variety is the largest denominator with around 240.000 tons. That is 10% of the total production. The free volume of 100.000 tons is immediately noticeable, compared to around 60.000 tons last year.
Comparing with a multi-year average is difficult because the Fontane volume has grown significantly in recent years. This is mainly to the detriment of Bintje. Compared to the last few years, a quarter more Fontane has been processed. The Challenger variety was actually delivered less, although here too it is visible that mainly free potatoes were processed. Other varieties also show more volume in free sales. Mainly because there is simply more product available to sell. In previous years, the tonnes produced were needed to fulfill contractual obligations.
More contract potatoes in stock
PCA estimates the remaining potato stock at 3,26 million tons (reference date November 15). Just slightly more than last year and the same as 2019. The stock is approximately equally divided between Flanders and Wallonia. Compared to the five-year average, the stock is 4% higher. The larger volume is entirely due to the larger stock of contract potatoes. About 30% of the total volume consists of free potatoes and that is average.
A Fontane stockpile of 2,08 million tons is a record. This variety takes up almost 65% of the total storage. Bintje, Challenger and Innovator are between 7% and 9%. The stock is smaller, especially for the Bintje variety, although there are more free potatoes. Challenger stock is up a fifth from last year. For the other varieties, the stock is the same as last year, but less than the five-year average. Three quarters of this is contracted.