Potato market chronicle September 2023

A very busy start to the year
in terms of prices!

We’re starting to get used to it… A logical downward trend is underway, with supply increasing by the day.

Harvesting in the North is behind schedule, particularly for fritables, due to late planting and unfavorable weather conditions in the fields. Boosted export demand seems to be overshadowing French consumption, which is struggling to get off the ground due to high inflation.

Prices for firm white meats are struggling to come down. Demand remains strong. For firm red meats, market supply and demand are virtually non-existent. With fryers nibbling away at acreage, this trend may augur higher
higher prices for producers, who are still subject to more technical and normative constraints. Quality problems, such as mildew and pythium, are nevertheless reported in Germany, Holland and Belgium. A few disparate outbreaks are reported in France.

Exports are on the up. Since the beginning of September, Italy and Spain have been on the offensive earlier than usual for washable products, due to
climatic problems that have affected harvests. Italian buyers made their presence felt at Potato Europe.

This external demand and rising fixed costs may augur well for a higher-priced market in the medium term. In the short term, however
price trends remain uncertain.

It’s hard for supermarkets to reach their consumers with attractive prices in these conditions!

There’s no doubt that Fruit Attraction is an opportunity for the potato family to position itself on a market that still has limited visibility in view of the grubbing-up that’s still going on. For the time being, growers are filling their stockpiles and selling only when the opportunity arises.

We wish you all a good season,
See you at the autumn trade shows.