2018

Publication author: Christelle Denis – SARL D.Vegetables Potato market chronicle November 2018 All market chronicles The harvest is drawing to a close, and the atypical situation is confirmed on both the French and European markets. NPEG is announcing a shortfall of several million tonnes of potatoes across Europe.A complicated potato market Quality is also deteriorating rapidly, while prices remain high due to pressure from manufacturers. Operators (growers, traders, etc.) are thus torn between selling as quickly as possible for fear of a change in quality, and holding onto volumes until spring in order to supply all customers. Clearly, not only are volumes likely to be insufficient to meet demand, but we are already seeing an early change in quality (dartrose, scab). Drought and shortage Without wishing to be alarmist, we have never experienced such a drought-related situation, but the impact of this shortage is likely to be felt well into next season; if seed potato production follows that of consumption, the shortage may be felt on this market too. And what about next spring? Will other regions of the Mediterranean basin take advantage of this shortage to offer us more tubers than in previous years? In conclusion, this upcoming campaign is nothing like previous ones!

Publication author: Jean-Marc Storper – SARL Maison Mendel Potato market chronicle September 2018 All market chronicles All potato professionals have taken on board the deficit context of the coming harvest. The UNPT has announced the lowest average 2018 yield ever recorded on their samples since 2001.The market’s two great unknowns At this stage of the harvest, the two great unknowns are : The quality and size of harvests of late varieties in irrigated regions, namely Nord Pas-de-Calais and Seine Maritime, but also Belgium and Holland (the big reservoirs of friable potatoes for industrial destinations);Their storage capacity, which we won’t be able to assess until the end of November. Indeed, what will be the consequences of the regrowth (or re-twinning) phenomenon on product preservation? Irrigated regions (Beauce, Champagne, Picardy), which are much more oriented towards the fresh market, seem to have much smaller deficits.The potato industry The problem is the industry. How will it manage this deficit? Will they have to go on strike? Will we have to import? And from where? Given that Europe as a whole seems to be suffering from the same ailment… which even seems to be global. Against this backdrop, potato prices are genuinely firm. Beware of holding back or excessive speculation, prices are high. Beware of storage problems, which are a real risk at these prices, and above all beware of your customers’ solvency, which can be fatal! In this complicated context, the SNCPT brokers, with their experience and professionalism, are at your disposal.

Publication author: Yves Le Bouëdec – J. Lévesque SARL Potato market chronicle July 2018 All market chronicles The weight of last year’s volumes is still weighing on the start of the new early harvest in Europe. Ripening has been delayed by at least 15 days in southern and western France. Demand for new tubers is strong for ripe produce, and supply is still low. As for the new ware potato harvest, let’s look to the skies in anticipation of a new campaign which, given the hectares planted, looks set to be a major one. We all hope it won’t be a second year of the same thing.Potato seeds In France, potato seed plantings are up by around 5%. The multiplication of new varieties is a major factor in these figures. The concentration of players in this market is increasing, with most of them European, and the division of production risk for these companies benefits French plantings. The highest growth rate is attributed to varieties intended for processing (+26%). Potato exports For both seed and consumption, our ability to export remains decisive. Eastern European and Mediterranean countries have a young population to feed. These remain a market in which we must consolidate our commercial relations. Looking forward to the new campaign, I wish you all a wonderful summer!

Publication author: Silvana Paolozzi – Ets Jacques Albert Potato market chronicle May 2018 All market chronicles A disappointing campaign… However, we are currently feeling the effects of the low prices observed this year: a godsend? Sales have rebounded, particularly in Eastern Europe, which has helped us to release varieties and qualities that were not suitable for other markets. Our export figures are therefore positive.Consumer demands The local policy is upsetting and disrupting our habits. Climate change, our new culinary lifestyles and organic farming are forcing us to rethink everything in order to adapt to consumer demands. Consumers are demanding quality and food safety, not quantity. All this forces us to question ourselves. Forecast for the 2018-2019 potato season At present, there is still strong demand for exports, and there are still some goods available, but they do not meet the quality standards of our historical buyers. Fortunately, we’re seeing a delay in early sales in general. We’ll be doing the end-of-drawer business, no doubt with a shortfall, which is likely to have an impact on the start of the campaign. In conclusion, it’s still too early to define the 2018-2019 campaign. However, some figures have already been released, and it would appear that there will not be a significant drop in surface areas. In fact, the 5 producing countries are steadily increasing compared to previous years. NPEG forecasts a slight increase, so the drop won’t be obvious, but we all know that the weather can change everything. Early crops will be late everywhere, and heavy rains in some countries in April will undoubtedly delay the new harvest, and because of the delay in early crops, we can expect a difficult lean season.

Publication author: Frédéric Laviron – Roussineau SA Potato market chronicle March 2018 All market chronicles It’s the end of the 6 Nations tournament, and our national team has blown hot and cold during the month of March, also marked by capricious weather: here are two beautiful images perfectly reflecting our ware potato market, indecisive, unbalanced and yet dynamic on new export markets.A shortage of potatoes? If we can agree on a European production surplus, there will (perhaps) be a shortage of potatoes! Indeed, storage lavabilities are deteriorating sharply with the appearance of flat faces, and our buyers are as demanding as ever in terms of quality; prices for this type of product could even rise until mid-June. A more stable market Eastern Europe and Germany should also be on the lookout for washable products, as the market imbalance is due solely to the excessive quantities of non-washable products. These storage problems could make for a more stable and longer market, especially as early production this year will be more limited (all origins combined). Market March 2018 Potatoes But there’s no need to claim victory! On-farm stocks are high and the market is complex; while some European supermarket chains are starting to make eyes at early potatoes, others still favor Locavore and therefore domestic goods, even if the quality is “borderline”. A difficult market for seed potatoes? The planting stock market is also difficult, with a lot of stocks and certainly a lot of unsold stock in many varieties; in mid-March, weather conditions did not allow early planting, and farmers are asking for postponements of deliveries. And if only this would give the market a boost…; but with a few “ifs”, we could have won the 6 Nations tournament…

Publication author: Christelle Denis – SARL D.Vegetables Potato market chronicle January 2018 All market chronicles As we begin 2018, I’d like to start by wishing all our readers and industry players a happy and prosperous New Year for our business. The start of the year continues the momentum of late 2017: an interesting start to the harvest thatslowed sharply in October to remain fairly sluggish even in December and early New Year. Production quality in general is holding steady, but with a tendency towards rapid sprouting that is sometimes difficult to contain. Firm-fleshed quantities are normal; sales are currently rather slow, but Germany should continue to buy until the end of the season. The advantage of low or fair prices will enable us this year to remain positioned in certain markets such as Italy, as opposed to last season when our fairly high selling prices helped German potatoes to penetrate the Italian market. A counter-blow to the potato market Our industry is suffering the backlash of two years of sustained prices and a craze for potatoes on the part of new growers; the market balance is estimated at 4.5 million tonnes, and a few percent too much puts it out of balance. Our forecast for the season The ware potato season is likely to be a long one, especially if the downturn in consumption does not reverse itself! The arrival of a large number of new varieties with interesting visual and taste qualities proves that our sector remains dynamic, but doesn’t it risk distorting consumers’ bearings on the shelves? So our industry still has a lot of work to do to bring back and keep consumers in the fresh produce aisle, especially the younger ones. So many objectives for 2018!