News on Potato Stats, Trade, Prices

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.

An Irish farm has found an innovative way to keep Ireland fed during the coronavirus pandemic: a contactless drive-through potato service.

Kees Schouten, from Altena Potatoes: 'The question is how the market will respond to new potatoes in these turbulent times'.

Due to COVID-19 the free market of potatoes has completely collapsed. The PCA/Fiwap and the Belgapom price quotation has been suspended because of a lack of transactions on the free market of potatoes.

Desde la Asociación de Productores se llama, una vez más, al escalonado de las siembras para evitar el colapso del mercado en el momento del arranque.

With the COVID-19 situation developing over the past week demand across all sectors has been mixed. Demand from retailers this week has soared and is reportedly as high as the Christmas period when trade normally peaks.

Mercado estable en una semana sin novedades en el mercado de la patata Agria, que repite a 18 céntimos de euro por kilo. Pese a esta repetición de las cotizaciones en origen, si se compara con la misma semana del año anterior.

Gracias a un aporte entre importadores y productores locales de papas, se puede garantizar el suministro de este rubro en todo el país para lo que resta del año.

Following the Council’s green light to the opening of negotiations for a new partnership with the UK, Europatat has sent a position paper to the EU-UK negotiation team, as well as to the relevant officials in DG AGRI and DG SANTE.

El pleno del Parlamento de Canarias ha aprobado este miércoles por unanimidad una proposición no de ley de Sí Podemos Canarias por la cual se insta al Gobierno regional a llegar a acuerdos con importadores y distribuidores.