French potato processors have maintained the record pace this spring. As a result, free potatoes are hardly available. High temperatures and a lack of precipitation mean that the crops have a difficult start. There is also more clarity about the acreage for 2022.
Before May 1, 952.000 tons of consumption potatoes were still in storage in French warehouses, according to figures from the potato organization UNPT. Of this, 777.000 tons were French fries potatoes. There was another one a month before record quantity of 1,67 million tons stored. During April, 718.000 tons were processed, of which 392.000 tons were fries potatoes. Not only by French factories, but especially by Belgian customers.
Free stock extremely small
The volume at the end of April is also record high. That is not surprising because a shift from table to chip potato cultivation has been going on for some time. It is striking that 93% of the remaining stock had already been sold by the end of April. This means that the free stock is extremely small. During May, a significant part of this stock was still purchased by processors. There is hardly any demand at the moment, but there is not much supply either, say insiders.
It is not much different with table potatoes. The free volume was larger there, but most of it was sold smoothly during May. It is now difficult to sell leftovers, because the new harvest has already been arriving for a while. France can look back on an excellent export season with 14% more exports. Eastern European countries in particular have bought more. Belgium bought almost a fifth more fries potatoes and the Netherlands also purchased significantly more potatoes with 58.000 tons.
Area hardly moves
In mid-May, the French agricultural statistics service Agreste published an initial forecast for the area from this year. In advance, insiders expected a few percent growth in the chip potato area, which would be at the expense of table potato cultivation. Agreste calculates a ware potato area of 151.000 hectares. That is a small plus of 2.000 hectares compared to last season. Boerenbusiness calculates with a slightly larger area. Compared to the multi-year average, the growth in cultivation is about 1%. The shift between table potatoes and fries will only be known at the end of this month when UNPT publishes figures.
France has had an early and very dry spring. Especially in the north, where the majority of French fries cultivation is located. Recent precipitation has alleviated the situation somewhat, but the picture is mixed. Until now, the crops have mainly been busy developing their leaf apparatus. The first sounds are that the number of tubers is somewhat disappointing due to drought.