News Potatoes
Seed potato pool Q-potato takes step towards 'new normal'
Potato trading company Q-potato has announced the pool price for seed potatoes. The potato market in a broad sense, and therefore also the seed potato market, is in a state of flux. According to the company, Q-potato's seed potato pool has taken 'a major first step towards the new normal'.
The pool price averages over all varieties at €42,15 per 100 kilos. For the variety Spunta class A to S size 28/55, the average price is €43,03 per 100 kilos. "The demand for seed potatoes was good last season," says Wouter Mutsaers, who is responsible for purchasing and selling seed potatoes at Q-potato. "North Africa and the Middle East in particular did well on the market. On the other hand, we sold slightly less seed potatoes in Southern Europe, especially Spain. Overall, we were able to sell a relatively high percentage as seed potatoes. And with good demand from the consumer market, we were able to sell the oversized seedlings or batches that we had doubts about - especially batches with scab - for consumption at good prices. seed potato pool. And what we should certainly not forget is that the harvested tons were good for the vast majority of our growers. That doesn't happen often. Usually the price is high and you don't have tons or vice versa."
Free races
According to Mutsaers, the potato market is in a state of flux, but there is still a demand for free varieties. "Developing and marketing new varieties is important for the seed potato sector. However, there is still a market for free varieties and that is the segment in which we want to distinguish ourselves." Mutsaers is cautious about the expectations for the 2023/24 season. "The total area of seed potatoes is 6% smaller and we see the strongest shrinkage in the French fries varieties such as Agria, Fontane, Markies and Innovator. We see plots that are in bad shape, especially in the north near the Wadden coast." But it is still too early to make statements about the tuber formation or the percentage that is withdrawn, according to Mutsaers. "A lot depends on the further course of the growing season and whether there will be rain in the short term, especially in the areas where it is not possible to irrigate."
Jurphaas Lugtenburg
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