Cash settlement finally at 30 euros

The latest push came, among other things, from the slightly higher quotation on Monday, March 13, of PotatoNL, which increased the Dutch contribution to the CS by €0,25 to €30,60. That is still somewhat lower than the contribution from Belgium and France (both €30,90). The German contribution, at €27,65 for week 11, remains far behind, as it has for the entire storage season. Particularly in the large potato growing area in the state of Lower Saxony, the potato harvest has been average to good, which causes the market price in this region to lag behind. Transporting French fries potatoes to a Belgian processor is a costly affair, €3 transport is quickly charged. So add the transport costs and a comparable contribution can be seen (€27,65 + €3 = €30,65) for that of the Netherlands, Belgium and France.

Tension and the potato market
Given the current market picture, the various quotations in the EU-4 countries are currently not trending much higher. A stable market is how the current mood can best be described. A much further increase in CS this month (March) does not seem to be possible. Then we are heading for the month in which the futures market for the April contract is settled (April 27). Tension and the potato market, especially in the first four months of a new calendar year, have no longer really gone together in recent years. So it is anyone's guess what the April listing will ultimately be settled at, not far above or below the €30 level. Although given the current (March 16) futures market quotation (€29,50), a lower settlement is not unthinkable. If there were more confidence in a more stable market (read: further price increases) in the coming weeks, the current futures market price should be between €30,50 and €31. The fear of a major price reduction in the coming weeks seems unfounded, but a slight decline in the direction of settlement of the futures contract cannot be ruled out.