The first export figures for seed potatoes this season have been announced. Africa stands out in a positive sense with one, while countries in Asia actually bought less Dutch seed. What does that mean for total exports to date?
Up to and including December 31, 154.650 tons of seed potatoes have been shipped to Africa. That is 46.744 tons more compared to the same period last year. The largest customer on the African continent is Algeria with 72.120 tons. That is significantly more than last year when the counter for Algeria in the same period stood at 32.755 tons and the season total remained at 44.375 tons. Egypt is number two, where 31 tons of seed potatoes have been sent up to and including December 45.728. That is a third more than last year when the total for the 2020 harvest was 30.420 tons. Morocco is in third place with 20.806 tons. That country actually purchased less seed potatoes compared to last year when 31 tons of seed potatoes crossed the border until December 2020, 25.309.
The export of seed potatoes to Asia was lower than last year. In the period up to December 31, 2021, 79.680 tons of seed potatoes were exported compared to 106.367 tons in the same period a year earlier. Israel is still the most important sales market with 14.445 tons, but has purchased approximately 4.000 tons less than last year. Pakistan comes in second with 12.754 tons, which is almost the same as last year. In the period up to and including December 31, Saudi Arabia purchased more than 7.000 tons less seed potatoes than last year and now stands at 10.223 tons.
Export within the EU remains the same
The export of seed potatoes within the EU is virtually the same as last year: 92.229 to 92.865 tons. Belgium is the largest customer with 24.405 tons, more than 1.000 more than in the same period last year. Spain follows at some distance with 15.360 tons. That is 3.000 tons than in the same period last year. Germany actually purchased 3.000 tons more compared to last year, bringing the total up to December 31 to 14.864 tons. European exports outside the EU are 7.000 tons lower than last year. The major absentee is the United Kingdom, which purchased more than 6.000 more tonnes of seed potatoes last year than this year. In exports to America, Cuba leads the way with 11.690 tons. The total for this continent is 17.793 tons, or more than 4.000 tons more than last year.
Potatoes for consumption
Belgium is the most important destination for consumer exports. In December, our southern neighbors purchased 26.025 tons. This brings the season total for Belgium to 123.475 tonnes. A total of 71.842 tons of consumer and industrial potatoes were exported in December. This brings the total this season to 338.535 tons. That is almost 25.000 tons less than last year. It is striking that Africa has purchased significantly fewer potatoes. The total this season up to and including December is 79.097 tons. That was 103.613 tons in the same period a year earlier. America and Asia together purchased approximately 16.000 tons less, leaving just under 35.000 tons so far this season.