The potato processing industry is able to maintain the upward trend that started in December. More potatoes are being processed for the second month in a row. And for the first time in months, production is higher than in the same month a year earlier.
In January, the industry processed 312.200 tons of potatoes into fries. This is evident from the figures announced today (Thursday, February 18) by the Association for the Potato Processing Industry (Vavi). More than 6% more has been processed than in December. At that time, 293.000 tons of potatoes were processed into fries.
More processed than last year
Last January, 302.600 tons of potatoes were processed. In January 2021, almost 10.000 more tons were processed than in the same month last year. This is the first time since July that more potatoes have been processed than in the same period last year. That may be a good explanation for the recent price increase on the physical market.
Of the potatoes processed in January, 93.000 tons came from abroad. That is 29,8% of the total. A year earlier this was still 105.200 tons (34,8%). A total of 2021 tons of pre-fried chips and 145.000 tons of other products were produced in January 24.200. The processing yield is therefore slightly lower than a year earlier, 55,8% in 2020 and 54,5% in 2021.