It is a fact that we live in different times when it comes to the pricing of the potato market. For example, in the 2018 harvest year, Innovator delivery week 17 in 2019 was contracted at less than €14,50, this season (delivery week 17 2025) that is €27,50. A similar trend can be seen on the potato futures market.
Today, €45 is certainly feasible. This is evident from the price developments for the 2023 harvest year, with a current futures market quotation for the June contract at €45. Already with the summer months approaching, the April 2025 contract is worth almost €35.
The reason for the fixed mood of the new harvest has already been discussed many times (including a later spring). However, the question is whether records will be broken again in the coming months. A record would be that the futures market harvest 2024 could already rise above the €40 level by mid-summer. A reason for this could be if the summer hits hard in terms of drought and temperature. What will be the effect on the difficult-to-plant potato crops?
Pricing
We can now start to look with a slanted eye on the 2026 harvest year. What contract price level should you link to the further increase in cultivation and harvest risk? After all, no season seems to be without extremities anymore. There is of course nothing wrong with the current contract prices, but the potatoes must be able to be delivered. That may be difficult for some spreadsheet purchasing managers to grasp. In that sense you would say that the potato futures market phenomenon is an excellent instrument, as it functions as a kind of expansion vessel.
As indicated, the pressure on the potato market for the 2024/25 season is already such that the meter on the expansion tank is almost moving to €35. This level offers excellent opportunities for pool managers or growers with a hedging and/or click contract. This price is already almost 25% above the average contract price level.
The final question is therefore whether unlimited contracting at what seems to be high contract prices without paying much attention to the risks of cultivation is the future. The entrepreneur will say no, the person who insures himself may view it differently.