Potato noters are struggling to get enough transactions together to get a price on the plate. That doesn't mean potato processors are resting on their laurels. In fact, the latest Dutch processing figures are above the five-year average and last month, French fry production was at its highest level in more than five years.
In March, Dutch potato processors processed 346.400 tons of potatoes, according to figures from the Association for the Potato Processing Industry (Vavi). Last year this month, the processing figure was 332.700 tons and the five-year average is 338.260 tons. With 162.000 tons, a striking number of pre-fried fries were produced. This is the largest monthly production since October 2019. Are the factories stepping up their game because potato prices are under pressure (and they can buy cheaper) or do they still have a large reservoir of contract parties that go over the processing lines? That is the question that arises when you see these processing figures.
In addition to pre-fried chips, 26.300 tons of other products were made. The processing yield is 54,4%. That is relatively high for this time of year. A relatively small portion of the processed potatoes comes from abroad. 33% of the potatoes, or 115.300 tons, comes from imports. That is just below the five-year average of 119.200 tons. In total, 2.593.600 tons of potatoes were processed this season (from July).