Price pressure on the starch market and growing supply in Europe are putting potato prices under strain. Avebe anticipates a downward trend towards the 2026 harvest. Read more about price pressure in the potato starch market.
Avebe will announce the base price for the 2026 harvest in early July. Over the past four years, the group has managed to take a step up each year. A further increase is not on the cards this year. It is wise to already factor in a lower price level, the group writes in a letter to its members.
The base price for the 2025 harvest was set at €110 per ton in July last year. This represented an increase of €5 compared to the 2024/25 season. In that year, the performance price ultimately reached €136,79 per ton. The exact level of the performance price for the 2025 harvest is not yet known.
In early April, the last potatoes from the 2025 harvest will be processed at the factory in Gasselternijveen. Although the market is described as challenging, Avebe still sees stable demand for its products. However, prices are under pressure due to increased potato starch production in Europe.
Although Avebe has been focusing increasingly on value-added products for several years, the cooperative remains partly dependent on bulk markets. It is precisely bulk products, such as native potato starch, that suffer from price pressure. "If the upcoming growing season proceeds on average, this could mean that we once again have to sell more products in markets with less distinctive value. Ultimately, that reduces our cooperative's earning capacity."
Avebe emphasizes that it is not a given that C-potatoes will be processed again in the next campaign. However, for the 2025 harvest, the group did process all C-potatoes registered in November. This ensured better utilization of the factories, but also leads to a larger volume being sold on the bulk market.