Potato market chronicle November 2021

After a rather wet summer, harvesting continued well into October. Harvested quantities are forecast to be slightly lower, but quality is deteriorating rather rapidly (scab, dartrose…). Since September, the domestic market has not been buoyant, and contracts with growers are more than sufficient to meet packaging needs.

Will the harvest be sufficient to cover needs?

If winter doesn’t encourage more consumption of potatoes, our harvest will be sufficient to cover the needs of the campaign! There is some concern about this market, which is struggling to get going. On the export front, we are nonetheless seeing a certain dynamism on the part of our Spanish and Italian neighbors, who are buying to stock up because of their lower production levels; but here again, they are also seeing lower consumption than in previous years. Central European countries are also buying earlier, due to unfavorable weather conditions in their countries; their purchases are mainly concentrated on unwashable or semi-washable potatoes.

Potatoes, the French vegetable of choice

In addition to this sluggish market, all raw materials (cardboard, wood, plastic, etc.) will have to rise in response to growing global demand. The elimination of plastic packaging for small potato packages also poses a problem for the supply of recycled raw materials, and increases production costs! Will consumers be able to keep up if prices continue to rise? Will they continue to buy potatoes, which are still one of France’s favorite “vegetables”?