Analysis BB Organic
High expectations make organic growers cautious
Buyers and sellers of organic potatoes, carrots and onions are keeping a low profile. Everyone is waiting to see how the market will develop further. Potato and onion growers in particular have high expectations of what the price will do.
Most of the potatoes and onions have arrived and arable farmers are in no rush to sell. Yields are disappointing and growers expect the price to make up for this this season. Customers have sufficient stock to meet their short-term obligations and are therefore hardly available on the market at the moment. Due to the relatively high prices, buyers are cautious about entering into many obligations for products for which there is no destination yet.
Phytohpthora causes problems here and there
The harvest of organic potatoes has largely been completed. There are big differences in yield and quality. On average, the yield is below average, but the quality of what is currently in storage seems good. Some sources report that in some batches there are some surprises with phytophthora. This is especially the case with the robust varieties. Infestation by evil in those varieties looks different in the leaf, namely small dots instead of the usual spots. As a result, some growers did not recognize the contamination as such, so that the fungus infected the tuber. This is now causing problems with rot in some batches.
The DCA Indication Price for potatoes remains the same as last week with prices between €48 and €70 per 100 kilos. Most trading, as far as trading has been made, this week is around $50 per 100 kilos.
Organic seed onions are now behind the shelves of many farmers. According to most traders, the sorting is on the fine side and the yields are below the multi-year average. In general, there are currently few quality issues. There are a few parties with a watery skin or necks that have not all dried up well due to the two-layeredness of ironing, but that does not really make for a compelling offer. Onion sets are still widely available, which means that processors do not buy enough seed onions. The DCA Indication Price remains the same as last week at €32 to €38 per 100 kilos.
Peenmarkt is different
There is also not much trade in carrots, but unlike potatoes and onions, the mood is less optimistic here. Yields are good in Northwest Europe and that ensures a lot of supply. It is especially difficult to find a buyer for varieties that are not suitable for storage. The drought of the last few weeks does cause some problems with harvesting. The crust on the bed causes damage during harvesting and many growers therefore have to irrigate. The harvest of the storage carrot has yet to start, but the yield and quality appear to be good. There is a fear that the good yields will also negatively affect the price later in the season. The DCA Indication Price remains stable at €18 to €20 per 100 kilos.
Jurphaas Lugtenburg
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