Today, the April 20 futures contract traded at € 19.5 / dt. This is a preliminary contract high. Currently, farmers in Europe notice very different potato yields. The biggest differences are between irrigated and unprepared areas. For some varieties of the main crop, such as the Innovator, show maturity already very early. These two factors together, dry subsoil and early Abreife let the potato prices on the futures exchange back towards 20 €. A similar course as exactly to this period in the previous year. The physical trade in potatoes has also stabilized in recent days. Despite the already well-started harvest of new potatoes, prices have been firmer again recently. In the meantime the potatoes of the old harvest have been used up in Great Britain. In most years before, the previous year's harvest lasted until mid-August. The Association of Potato Producers in Western and Central Europe NEPG also fears that in the five largest potato nations in Europe this year too, only below-average yields will come together. The acreage was in the Beritt of the Association, although by 2.2% to a record size of 611.190 hectares have been extended, but due to the drought it is unlikely that the average yields of recent years will be reached. The yields were good at the first new potatoes. In Belgium, however, only 3-5% of the land on which consumer potatoes were grown is irrigated. In addition, this season requires 8-10% more raw material for the production of potato products due to extremely low initial stocks of raw materials and potato products. Currently, the farmers are mainly concerned with the grain harvest. This alleviates the supply pressure with potatoes from agriculture, which the factories can bridge however well by the retrieval of contract potatoes. For the farmers now comes a peak and the strong demand, especially for potato chips and the export business could hardly be covered without pre-ordered potatoes. This is extraordinary for this season, where usually now tumble the prices. On dry soils, the potato harvest is slow and the supply of shell-solid goods for the fresh-potato market is still limited. So there will be no supply pressure in the next few days.The prices for table potatoes from Germany remain thus for the time being significantly higher than those for frits raw material. The weather forecast for the coming week could further aggravate the situation. In some growing regions you even have to expect damage from too high temperatures. However, as the potatoes of the main crop still shade the ground well, the risk would still be manageable, at least where irrigation systems exist. However, temperatures of 30 ° C and more ensure that the potatoes stop growing, which would be hard to catch up with in later dry conditions. The next heat wave is announced in France next week. There are already 61 regions banning water abstraction for agriculture. The cooling of the nuclear power plants is no longer guaranteed, so there is a risk that the power supply could be scarce. French meteorologists expect very hot and dry weather in the coming week. This heat wave replaces a cool weather period that has been prevailing since the end of June.
ZMP Live Expert Opinion
At the futures exchange in Leipzig, potato futures are back in high spirits these days. It is not unusual for July to have very different expectations for the harvest. In fact, water supply in August is crucial for yield of stored potatoes. Since since the summer drought in 2018 but hardly anywhere in the large potato growing regions of Europe has fallen so much rain that the subsoil was saturated with water again, it is now feared that lack of precipitation also destroy the crop 2019, at least where there is little or no There are irrigation possibilities. In parts of Belgium, where already only a maximum of 5% of the potato areas can be irrigated, a ban on irrigation has even been issued. That drives up the stock market prices at the processing potato futures for days.
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