The potato futures market closes with a historically low cash settlement of €1,40, while trading had already stalled. The disappearance of this instrument affects price formation and hedging options. Read more about the end of the potato futures market in Leipzig.
Formally, the final cash settlement of the Leipzig futures market is published on June 4. In fact, however, the final cash settlement that still matters was determined yesterday. That was at the end of the day on which trading in potato futures contracts was possible for the last time.
Trading in June contracts has ceased. Consequently, the futures market closes with the final trade in April contracts. 300 contracts remained open for the month of April. These contracts are being settled based on the cash settlement price, which amounts to €1,40 per 100 kilos.
The 2025/26 season already started with an extremely low European Processing Potato Index, the indicative cash settlement. On November 13, futures market EEX published an EPP index of €2,50 per 100 kilos. The market subsequently recovered slightly, but this quotation never exceeded €3. From mid-January, the price continued to drop, ending at €1,40 per 100 kilos.
In mid-March, exchange organizer EEX made the decision to permanently close the potato futures market. This marks the end of a market instrument that originated in Amsterdam. The Dutch Liquidation Fund and the Potato Futures Market Foundation started the potato futures market there in 1958. In the early days, physical delivery took place upon the expiration of a contract; later, contracts were settled financially.
With the closure of the futures market, transparency in the market disappears, as does the possibility to hedge prices, states Kees Maas, who, together with Edwin Burgers, is director of ADM Investor Services Europe BV (formerly DCA Finance BV). "This has a major impact on the potato trade. The futures market was a beacon for valuing sentiment and the expected price of potatoes. How do you now, as a farmer in August, determine the expected value of potatoes in April?"
Legislation and regulations made it increasingly difficult to trade on the futures market in recent years. Moreover, the market was too local and too small. The latter was exacerbated by the fact that a large proportion of potatoes were locked in under contract. As a result, there was little need among processors to hedge the supply of raw material.