HZPC has announced the final payout price for the 2021 harvest. This is slightly higher than the forecast. The aftermath of the corona crisis is still noticeable and the war in Ukraine is also affecting the market, the trading house reports.
HZPC sets the payment price to the affiliated seed potato growers for the 2021 harvest at €33,70 per 100 kilos. At €0,60, this is higher than the price forecast of €33,10. Compared to the payout price of 2020, that is also higher, when €30,80 was paid. The payment price is the price on the average of all varieties and qualities grown in pools in seed sizes S to A. The price per variety, class size and quality is determined according to a system that has been agreed by HZPC with its growers.
'Respectable price in a difficult market'
The seed potato market was recovering well from the corona crisis, but the aftermath is still clearly felt, according to HZPC. Brexit has also led to lower exports of seed potatoes to the United Kingdom. But the war in Ukraine has also reduced sales in Europe. Higher prices for other crops such as grains have led to an expansion of these crops. The result was that fewer potatoes were grown and less seed potatoes were traded in the months of March and April.
Despite the difficult market and the circumstances, Martin Jansen Klomp, regional manager at HZPC, calls the price 'respectable': "The fact that the price has risen slightly despite the negative factors is partly because alternative sales channels have made a good contribution and certain costs are lower. The quality of the seed potatoes was good and the number of complaints was significantly lower in the 2021 season. Even if you look at the payout prices of the past ten years, we can call the payout price for the 2021 season respectable."