Kartoffeln News, 08/11/2023

The potato harvest is now starting again. In many places it has become drier and farmers can go out into the fields again. Predominantly summery and dry temperatures are also reported for the coming week. At the food market, the supply of potatoes is slowly increasing. Because of the digging delays in the last few weeks, the supply is still not too tight. In NRW in particular, ripening is now being promoted more extensively again, the demand for fresh potatoes has increased due to the end of the summer holidays in the federal state. Shipments from the Rhineland are also increasing in the Benelux region. The prices tend to be somewhat weaker overall. For example, the Burgdorf region in Lower Saxony is currently reporting 60 euros/dt for tight-skinned varieties, compared to 63 euros/dt in the previous week. The supply of potatoes is also increasing on the processing market, but is still very manageable. In Belgium, the situation is slowly easing. Buyers are active and also buy goods in Germany in the areas bordering on Belgium. Because of the heavy rainfall here, too, the harvest of the early processing varieties is clearly in decline. The producers are not always satisfied with the qualities.First test clearings for the main harvest show that the varieties are behind the usual schedule in development everywhere in Western Europe and the yields should not be too plentiful. For Amoro, an average of around 24 t/ha is reported in Belgium, compared to 40 t/ha in the previous year. On the other hand, the situation on the EEX derivatives exchange remains calm. Recently there has been no new turnover and for the April 24 contract there is currently a lack of sellers who are positioning themselves in the order book.