"The lights are on the Christmas tree," responds a buyer for the French fry industry. He's simply saying you shouldn't look for them in the potato market for now. It remains a bleak market. You don't need to go to the supermarkets for a rosy picture either. The potatoes there are far from pristine.
The buyers for the French fry industry have nothing to do for the time being. They're just arranging a few cars here and there to get the factories back on track. That's all it takes, especially since production will be halted after the end of next week.
For the time being, buyers in the Netherlands don't have to worry about contracting potatoes from the 2026 harvest. That will happen in January, they say. This year, there's plenty of time for a ski holiday during the Christmas period.
So nothing is happening at all? That's not entirely true either. Last week, the French company RNM suddenly released its first quotation for Fontane this season. This quotation, moreover, is €30 per tonne, significantly higher than the quotations for this variety in neighboring countries. An explanation mentions several purchases of sorted product exceeding 50 millimeters.
Situation no different than elsewhere
According to buyers, the situation in France is no different than elsewhere. There are too many potatoes, especially in France. While the acreage has increased most this year, large quantities continue to float above the market. This hasn't changed.
Nevertheless, there has been a change in the potato index on the Leipzig futures market. The indicative cash settlement rose by 20 cents this week to €2,70 per 100 kilos. This is despite the fact that price levels in Germany and the Netherlands have actually fallen slightly. There, the pricing in France suddenly comes into play, causing the European potato price index (EPP) to rise this week.
The contribution from France to the index rose this week by €1,50 to €3,30 per 100 kilos. This suddenly gives France the highest price level in Northwest Europe. Prices in the Netherlands and Germany are hovering around €3 per 100 kilos this week. Belgium is in the very last group with only €1,68 per 100 kilos, lagging far behind the rest.
Belgapom unchanged
Belgapom is holding the price unchanged at €1,50 per 100 kilos of free Fontanes on Friday, December 12th. This is the ninth consecutive week that the extremely low price has been set by the Belgian trade and processing quotation committee. There also appears to be no further movement before New Year's Eve.
Reka-Rheinland isn't doing much differently. Fontane also remains at €1,50 per 100 kilos there. Innovator was briefly listed at €4 per 100 kilos in Germany, but hasn't exceeded €3 per 100 kilos in recent weeks. Agria is still in the lead with €7 per 100 kilos.
Quality in supermarket is shocking
For now, you don't need to go to supermarkets for a bag of nice potatoes. In stores like Plus and DekaMarkt, the quality is abysmal. On the shelves, the color green dominates instead of yellow and sometimes red.
Supermarket chains and packaging companies are driving consumers towards rice and pasta with these shoddy products. Surely that's not the intention. These companies can still make a decent margin with potatoes. However, that requires a decent product.
Especially in a season where quality has been emphasized all year long. Good quality potatoes are available for next to nothing, and they should be given a prominent place on the shelves instead of these hideous green tubers. Even the abundantly available feed potatoes used for the cows look even better.
With so many potatoes available this year, packers and supermarkets should seize the opportunity to boost consumption. But the product you see in stores now is only driving consumers away from potatoes.
Packers whose codes are on these packages should take action. You want a decent potato on your plate at Christmas, don't you? Or will it be pasta after all?