Publication auhtor : Yves Le Bouedec – J. Lévesque SARL
As I write this column, I don’t know how to express my thoughts, such is the extent of the upheaval. First, there’s the war on our doorstep, which is eroding our purchasing power. For our market, on the production side, it amplifies inflation at all stages of the chain. Against this backdrop, purchases of fresh potatoes are down by around 20%, and what can we say about the organic market with its 30% drop? And all this despite all the promotions. Secondly, we are feeling the effects of climate change, which is accentuating the earliness of different production zones this year. With their unusually large volumes, they’re clogging up a market that’s already gasping for breath. What will the harvest be like? If we look at it now, I think it will be decent, with major disparities between those who will have benefited or not from the necessary water in non-irrigated areas. What about volume contracts with processors? Given the euro/dollar parity, they should do well. On the export side, the market is likely to be active. As far as seedlings are concerned, we’re seeing less tuberization and faster leaf senescence than in other years. It’s mid-July, so there’s still a lot of uncertainty. In the meantime, in the shelter of the baobabs, in my oasis under the Breton sun, I wish you a good summer!
