The pressure has increased somewhat on the potato market in recent weeks. It is mainly the potatoes that have a difficult time in terms of storage. This situation is creating additional supply in a market that has been trending calmly for some time now.
The problems regarding quality are mainly concentrated in the south-west of the Netherlands and concern varieties such as Agria, Innovator, but in some cases also Markies and Fontane. Some problem lots also need to be cleared in Belgium. There is also still a supply in recent weeks of potatoes yet to be harvested. Storage is an expensive affair, so harvesting later and delivering immediately would be a good idea, but then there must be a buyer. And as stated earlier, the latter is a point.
Approving the grower
The sluggish feeling of the market in the EU-4 countries does not result in a much lower price. Belgapom has been trading virtually unchanged for weeks (Innovator was trading €1 lower on Friday, November 25) and the other European quotes (PotatoNL, REKA, etc.) also show little change. Now with Interpom on our doorstep and the spectacularly higher contract price from Agristo, which will probably be followed by Clarebout, which reportedly needs 2.500 tons of raw material per day for its new factory, the potato market will not drop much further, so the interests of the to keep the grower on track for the coming season(s).
In that sense, the panels are turning and the starting position of the growers seems favorable due to the unbridled growth of processors in the EU-4 in recent years. Exciting on the one hand, of course, but a "made" market is not a positive development for the future, as it cannot be managed in the long term!