Concerns about sales of Spanish early potatoes

Due to favourable market conditions and good sales of early potatoes in previous years, arable farmers in Spain were confident about the new season. The abundant water in Andalusia was seen as a major advantage by farmers, as it made it possible to grow potatoes without the burden of irrigation restrictions. As a result, significantly more potatoes were planted from December to January than the year before, with some insiders even reporting an increase of 20% to 30% in the area. Despite this expansion, it is expected that the 2025 harvest will certainly not be larger than that of 2024.

Weather conditions affect early potato harvest
The weather did not have a positive effect on the yield of the early potatoes. In March, no less than 400 millimeters of rain fell. Due to this enormous amount, many plots were infected with phytophthora and fusarium. In addition, alternaria was also found in many cases, which further reduced the yield. The plots that were planted early were particularly badly affected. On these plots, the first trial harvest figures yielded only 15 to 20 tons per hectare.

As for deliveries to Germany, everything seems to be going according to plan at the moment. The first potatoes were harvested in Spain at the end of April. It will not be until the second week of May that a larger quantity will be available for early deliveries to Germany, intended for sale in the shops before the start of the domestic harvest. Prices are still difficult to predict at the moment. Competition from potatoes from Egypt and Israel will probably have an impact on pricing, especially as the supply of Spanish potatoes increases towards the end of May.

Pressure on the market and concerns about the sales period
Within Spain, there are mixed signals about the early potato sales. While some insiders point to a sales price of €67,00 to €70,00 per 100 kilos for the early potatoes on the domestic market, traders in Andalusia indicate that supermarkets have postponed their purchasing plans. This is because they still have sufficient potatoes from Israel and Egypt. In addition, cheaper potatoes from France are attractive to Spanish supermarkets. This has caused some early potatoes from the east coast of France to be exported to Spain.

The biggest concern of Spanish exporters is that their sales window to Germany will be too short, as the early potatoes from Germany will be available from the third week of June. In the south of Spain, it is also known that the early potatoes in Germany will be available faster than the Spanish potatoes, which makes competition on the German market more difficult. However, there are also more positive sounds. The delay of the summer harvest in the northern growing areas, where potatoes were planted three weeks later than normal, could mean that the demand for Spanish potatoes in June will start a little later than usual.