Kartoffeln News, 12/12/2023

There is a tighter supply situation on the food market, but this is not yet reflected in rising prices. Most market participants expect prices to remain constant until the end of the year. However, the harvest results in many countries and here too are casting their shadows. Inter-regional shipments from the north to the south continue to be at a higher volume level than in the previous year. There are now also reports of more demand from neighboring European countries; Poland in particular seems to have become more active. Buyers from the Balkans are also actively looking in Germany and France. In the Netherlands, the harvest of processing potatoes is still not coming to an end. The onset of winter last week had a significant negative impact on the quality of the ongoing harvest. In addition, the producers have high costs because the lots have to be washed. Prices in the Netherlands have also increased slightly this week. However, the trading range has narrowed at the upper end. In France, some fields still have to be cleared this week; it is estimated that around 5 percent of the areas have not yet been harvested.After recent very rainy days, there was frost in France, especially at the end of last week. As in Germany and Belgium, prices in France have recently been stable. With few transactions on the EEX in the last few days, the April 24 date has fallen slightly. The EEX index was quoted on Friday at 20.90 euros/dt, 0.20 euros/dt firmer but below the level of the previous year at this time, when 23.40 euros/dt was quoted.