Exporters of table potatoes sold a larger volume to France in January. More potatoes were also shipped to West Africa.
Total exports of consumer and industrial potatoes amounted to 66.552 tons last month, according to figures from the Dutch Potato Organisation (NAO). This is 10.000 tons more than last year.
Belgium is traditionally the largest buyer, with 29.435 tons of potatoes shipped there last month. That's almost 5.200 tons less than in the same month last year.
France, on the other hand, was a larger buyer of Dutch potatoes. Despite their own large harvest, the French bought nearly 13.000 tons. That's much more than usual. In other years, between 1.000 and 3.500 tons are shipped from the Netherlands to France in January.
Ivory Coast and Mauritania also ensured that a large number of potatoes were shipped to West Africa last month. Ivory Coast imported almost 3.500 tons, and about 3.100 tons were shipped to Mauritania. Total sales in Africa, at 8.540 tons in January, were about 3.350 tons higher than the same month last year.