Potato market chronicle March 2023

he conclusion of my March 2022 column

was that finding potatoes on the open market this

to find potatoes on the open market next season.

next season. 12 months have gone by, and there is sport,

and it’s here to stay. The open market is very

very tight for the end of the campaign, with the last

retention by the last stockists.

Packers are continuing to self-supply

and are only buying the bare minimum, knowing that

that double washing is necessary to get through certain

to pass certain batches of very delicate quality. The rate of

The rate of waste is exploding at the same rate as the purchase price.

Disputes are becoming increasingly frequent.

On the fresh produce market, Spain, Portugal and Italy

are 15 days late in harvesting new potatoes.

new potatoes. The arrival of the first potatoes

from Israel and Egypt is imminent.

In Brittany, after a promising start for

planting under tarpaulin in February, there was a

4 to 5 weeks, then a resumption.

But intentions to plant seem to be on the wane

for fresh potatoes, while the potato industry

has a ferocious appetite and is recruiting new producers.

For their part, the starch and beet production sectors

beet production sectors are suffering enormously. What will growers do

stop or switch to potatoes?

The Netherlands and Belgium are struggling to increase

production areas, while France will be planting

begging for rain!

In any case, early potatoes will find their place this year, with prices

year, with prices expected to be very buoyant.

But then, there are a lot of parameters for change

of change and a lot of questioning

for the coming year on all markets.

Could France become the new potato Eldorado?

for potatoes? More sport!