With the harvest period not yet completed, it is too early for the organic potato and onion market to take stock. What is clear is that a lot this season will depend on the quality. In turn, trading is also quiet.
The harvest of organic seed onions is now almost complete and it is nothing new that the yields are generally not that bad. However, there were certainly plots that have grown considerably and were delivered with little tare or are now in storage. All in all, the yield is lower than average. But that's just one side of the story. The other side is significantly lower quality. The quality is on average substandard this year and growers and advisors agree that many organic onions will not keep as well this year as usual. A processor has already indicated that the quality of the onions that now pass through the sorter are also lower. "Of every tonne that comes in, not everything is suitable for the bag. We have more left over than in other years."
The trade and demand for free organic onions is currently very quiet and this appears to continue in the coming period. The yield in Germany is expected to be better than previously expected and that offers fewer opportunities for later this season, given that many onions were exported in that direction in the past. The grower price is currently under some pressure for organic onions. The DCA indicative price for organic yellow onions in week 41 amounts to €44 to €50 per 100 kilos.
Potato grower gains confidence
The mood on the organic potato market is somewhat more positive than on the onion market. What is consistent is that the quality in this branch of arable farming is also somewhat lower than in recent years. The differences are large, but potatoes are generally more deformed and rot and phytophthora are also prevalent in certain areas. But that does not deter the grower in this case.
The supply of organic potatoes has increased further in the recent period and is pushing prices down somewhat. On the other hand, the grower also wants to do business with the current prices. It is not surprising that at this current price level the price drops slightly during the off-farm period. Nevertheless, both growers and traders have reasonable confidence in the organic potato market this season. There are opportunities mainly across the border, very different from last year.
The DCA Indication Price for organic table potatoes decreases slightly and amounts to €41 to €53 per 60 kilos in week 100.