Dutch seed potato exports have had a quieter start than usual in the first few months. Up to and including December, exports have been the lowest in years – except for the drought year of 2018 and the wet autumn in 2023. Nevertheless, exports to Africa are considerably higher than in the past two years.
Dutch seed potato exports are currently stuck at 309.377 tons, according to an overview from the Dutch Potato Organisation (NAO). Algeria has done very well in terms of volume, having already purchased over 80.000 tons of Dutch seed potatoes. There is healthy demand for seed potatoes in this closed market for table potatoes.
Neighboring Libya is also making a significant push into the market, importing nearly 14.000 tons of Dutch seed potatoes. This means Libyans have purchased double the average of the past five years. Spuntas have been too expensive for Libyans in recent years. Now that prices are significantly lower, they are seizing the opportunity.
However, even further east, sales are significantly disappointing. Egypt has purchased 33.000 tons of Dutch seed potatoes over the past five years, but that figure is now 10.000 tons lower at 23.000 tons. Moreover, the prices Egyptians are willing to pay for new propagation material are also considerably lower than in recent years. Last year, slightly too much seed potatoes went to Egypt, and suppliers are now feeling the pinch.
Total exports to Africa reached 153.355 tons at the end of December. Despite lower sales in Egypt, this is approximately 18.000 tons more than last year. Last year, African buying interest was slightly lower than the five-year average; this year, sales are 13% higher.
In Asia, the recovery in exports to Syria is particularly striking. After the fall of the Assad regime, seed potato exports to Syria have rebounded significantly. In recent months, nearly 10.000 tons have been shipped there. While this is still not as much as the 14.000 tons in 2022, it is significantly more than the 1.700 tons in 2024. The arrival of a new regime has made it easier to ship seed potatoes to the country.
However, major buyers such as Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Pakistan, Israel, and Iraq are buying less new propagation material. As a result, total sales to Asia are down approximately 4.000 tons (5%) compared to last year. As of the end of December, exports to Asia stood at 74.146 tons. This is a quarter less than the more than 100.000 tons that went to this continent at the end of 2022.
Invoice not yet paid
Cuba stands out in the export figures to the US. For many years, this country has been a buyer of around 10.000 tons per season. This year, not a single kilo is going there. This is because the state-owned buyer hasn't paid last year's invoices. Consequently, exports to the US have so far remained at less than 8.000 tons.
In Europe, buyers are hesitant. French fry manufacturers like Clarebout (Simplot) have already stocked up on some seed potatoes, but otherwise, things are quiet. Germany, Cyprus, and Spain, in particular, have purchased less seed potatoes so far. A total of 74.000 tons of seed potatoes have been delivered within Europe, according to NAO figures. That's 13.000 tons less than last year.
However, it's still early in the season for deliveries to potato growers in Europe. Potato acreage in Northwest Europe is expected to be somewhat smaller, but this reduction is nowhere near the 15% reduction hoped for by some organizations.