Spain: Potato producers struggling to find buyers

After the boom of recent years thanks to good prices, which even led to a 15% increase in planted area, potato producers are facing a difficult situation in what they describe as a "bad" year. A clear example of this can be seen at the region’s commodity exchanges, where it is observed that "potato prices continue to plummet, with warehouses full and unsold. In some cases, potatoes are even being held in farmers’ trailers that cannot be unloaded, and farms are delaying their harvest due to lack of space," according to the León exchange.

To understand the situation, several factors must be considered. These include oversupply, coupled with a drop in domestic consumption and a lack of immediate exports, which have led to a collapse that is expected to result in significant losses for some farmers.

See moreSoil analysis servicesOnline advertisingAgricultural work clothesCrop insuranceHarvesting toolsPope PortalWholesale PricesAgricultural consulting servicesPesticides for potatoesRefrigerated storage equipment

“It’s a bad year, and there are unsold potatoes; it’s very difficult,” confirms Eduardo Arroyo, president of the Potato Producers Association of Castile and León (Appacyl). He emphasizes the need to assess the situation and restructure the sector for next year. In this regard, he stresses the importance of having contracts signed before the harvest. “We must secure the sale of the potatoes before planting, as it’s an expensive crop to sow, around €10,000 per hectare,” Arroyo explains. Therefore, he stresses that to offset this expense, “the first thing is to sell the potatoes, whether at a lower or higher price.” He notes that, currently, “some contracts have been reduced, and contracts are being executed in France—they go first, and then if there’s anything left over, they look here, but they aren’t buying.” The president of Appacyl acknowledges that it has been a product in which "people have always played it by their own rules," but warns that it is an option that "is increasingly less compatible" with the market.

Regarding the area of ​​potatoes to be planted next year, Arroyo believes there will be a decrease, similar  to the increase seen in the last season . "We’ll go back to where we started; some new farmers who have joined the crop, many of whom came from sugar beets, will probably abandon it," he says. In any case, he emphasizes that the sector needs to make future decisions to recover from this situation.