Rains extend toll on European potato farms

A delayed start to Europe's potato's plantings has prompted ideas of a revival in potato prices, whose decline this year on futures markets, despite inventories at a "historically low level"has puzzled investors.

Sowings in much of western Europe have been delayed by unusually cold weather which has also slowed the progress of early crops, such as that in Jersey, said to be two weeks behind normal, costing growers some of the lucrative window for early-year supplies.

Victor Phaff, secretary of the NEPG, the North-Western European Potato Growers group, told Agrimoney.com that sowings were "three weeks behind normal".

"This means we will have to rely longer on old crop potatoes,"further straining supplies of an unusually weak harvest.