News on Potato Stats, Trade, Prices

Many Canadian Potato growers have been dealing with a difficult two months with an unexpected supply of processing potatoes as a result of decreased sales of French fries, as sit-down restaurants shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Potatoes New Zealand is asking the New Zealand government to give urgent consideration to imposing short-term measures limiting the importation into New Zealand of heavily discounted frozen potato chips to avoid a food security threat.

De acuerdo al Sistema de Información de Cultivos del Ministerio de Agricultura la campaña 2019-2020 el área de papa corresponde a un poco más de 346,000 Has., con una producción de 4.5 millones de toneladas.

The National Potato Council has welcomed USDA’s announcement of a $50 million surplus potato purchase to support the industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 has shaken the whole world-impacting society and the global economy similar to the effect of a world war.

The foodservice demand for potato products has dropped with 50 – 60 % and the export markets have lost their potential, so the world-wide potato-processing industry has reduced their capacity and need for raw material. More than 2 million tons will probably not been processed in the NEPG mainland potato countries only.

La recolección en la Axarquía, que es la primera comarca en iniciar la cosecha, se desarrolla con normalidad y sin falta de mano de obra.

La pandemia mundial por el coronavirus multiplica la importancia del sector primario, las rutas de abastecimiento, el desarrollo y la reserva estratégica. La firma leonesa Patatas Hijolusa es uno de los ejemplos de gestión ante la crisis.

Consecuencia del Coronavirus: Los productores del Norte de Burgos y Palencia urgen al Ministerio a buscar ya una vía, porque se han cerrado restaurantes, hoteles y colegios, pero se han olvidado de otras consecuencias de la pandemia, como es ésta.

The sunny weather and the early start of the domestic asparagus season are particularly advantageous for potato imports. We are now hoping for a successful continuation of the campaign after Easter.

New potato harvest started in last week, in Portugal. Due to the higher temperatures recorded in February and March, compared to last years, the earliest varieties reached the commercial size in advance.

Last year, despite the difficult growing conditions as a result of the extreme heat and drought during both the 2018-2019 and the 2019-2020 seasons, the Belgian potato-processing industry once again improved the record for processed potatoes.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has dealt a blow to a, particularly Belgian market, as the country begins to see declining sales of the humble fries.

Potato prices have surged 28-38% in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, the top two producers of the tuber which has become the staple across India during the COVID-19-induced lockdown.

Many potato traders with stock in storage have grown worried about the condition of the Chinese potato market. The market is quite weak and the delivery speed has slowed down.

In mainland Europe the widespread closure of restaurants and other food service outlets has meant that demand for processed potato products has fallen significantly.

COVID-19-related restaurant closures lead to ‘curtailment’ of french fry production. Cavendish Farms has advised the P.E.I. potato producers under contract to supply the company with spuds to 'sell to other markets if they can'.

A surge in consumer demand for healthy home-cooked foods has seen a 'phenomenal' uplift in fresh potato sales – with increases as high as 70% with certain customers, according to Tom Keogh, managing director of well-known potato and crisp company Keogh’s.