Alemania: ’Incorrect harvest forecasts disrupt the potato market’

The supply was sufficiently adapted to the storage options. Price changes were therefore the exception. In the case of early potatoes, Cypriot and Italian batches were increasingly used. These were also mostly sold at the previous prices.

Incorrect predictions in the harvest estimates caused confusion, wrong decisions and an opaque market this year. This was reported by Jörg Eggers from Europlant Pflanzenzucht GmbH at the seed potato conference in Weichering: "This also cost the producers money, as the market was not able to develop as it could have." According to Eggers, one reason for the overestimation could be a failure to take the organic sector into account. However, the suspicions about the incorrect estimate and its reasons could not be proven at the time of the conference.

Lower Saxony:

The price increase in the west had a positive effect on potato sales in the heath region. Here too, initial calls for price increases were heard, according to the BVNON .

NRW: 

The price increase of EUR 4.00/100 kg for premium food from the refrigerated crate storage facility noted in the Rhineland in mid-January has established itself on the market. The industrial potato market is currently showing signs of being firmer again. The REKA quotation was raised by EUR 1.50/100 kg.

Schleswig-Holstein:

The current situation on the potato market is not nearly as negative as feared. This is mainly due to the brisk consumer demand, the seasonal dip of which is not as pronounced this year as in an average year. In addition to the lower temperatures, numerous promotional campaigns by food retailers have contributed to this. Supply and demand are therefore relatively balanced. Since there are currently hardly any batches with quality discounts, the producers’ side is increasingly moving further storage premiums for the next few weeks into the focus of negotiations. Compared to the previous week, potato prices on the EEX have also continued to rise. However, the range of fluctuation has become somewhat larger. So far, prices have not dared to break the 32 EUR/dt mark.

Rhineland-Palatinate: 

Promotions in the food retail sectorcontinue to generate good sales on the potato market . Promotional prices of around 60 cents/kg for small packages are putting expensive goods under considerable pressure. This is also affecting direct marketers, who are often adjusting their prices. The supply on the potato market is described as good enough, and the quality is predominantly good. More critical batches therefore appear to have been negotiated. Further increases are expected for good food products from cold storage. Saxony: In the state of Saxony, a price increase of EUR 2/100kg was implemented for all cooking properties from week 3 to 4 .

Bavaria:

At the moment, the producer prices for Bavarian potatoes are far below the level of the same period last year. "The current price level is too low in relation to the high effort and risk from the producer’s point of view. The price should actually be higher due to the losses. The fact that early potatoes are generally valued better than the storage potatoes that we need for the rest of the year is, in my opinion, counterproductive and also a sign that our work is not valued appropriately by the food retail trade. We have also noticed that the mood at producer level is rather gloomy," said a potato wholesaler .Saxony-Anhalt:

Contrary to the nationwide trend, there were quite reasonable yields in the Magdeburg Börde. "Although our producers also experienced heavy rain in places, we were spared serious yield losses and significant problems due to wireworm infestation. In that respect, we got off relatively lightly," reported a regional potato packer . Meanwhile, the prices of regional potatoes have been stable for weeks. Since the start of the main harvest, there has been a total increase of 5 EUR/100kg, which is actually too little in relation to the storage costs. "We are now waiting for another increase in storage in the coming weeks. In the meantime, the willingness to sell at the producer level is rather low, a lot of goods are being held back. Nevertheless, we have so far had enough goods available to adequately serve the markets."