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potato/patata<br />
A healthy basis<br />
for next season<br />
After an atypical year, what are the prospects<br />
for 2007/200 ?<br />
Total sowings in the 5 main growing<br />
countries in North-West Europe<br />
should not increase greatly.<br />
The status quo is expected to be<br />
maintained in the Netherlands and<br />
France while a slight rise is anticipated<br />
in Belgium, Germany and<br />
Great Britain.<br />
Surface areas of early potatoes are<br />
up in Germany and Belgium and are<br />
mostly in the hands of the processors<br />
(under contract). Nonetheless,<br />
industrial demand will be intense<br />
from the first liftings onwards,<br />
which could limit the yield per hectare<br />
and keep the market healthy.<br />
Weather conditions in June and<br />
July will be decisive for the quality<br />
and quantity of the Western European<br />
storage potato crop, as they<br />
are every year. In view of the early<br />
crops, the yield potential is quite<br />
high. On the other hand, the processors’<br />
stocks of finished products<br />
will be practically nil at the start of<br />
the new season and early crop marketing<br />
will start soon.<br />
Early potato<br />
markets steady<br />
Imports of very early potatoes into<br />
the European Union were expected<br />
to rise globally, with 270,000 tonnes<br />
expected from Israel, 200,000<br />
tonnes from Egypt, 70,000 tonnes<br />
from Cyprus (over a third of them<br />
for Germany) and 50,000 tonnes<br />
from Morocco. The Israeli and Moroccan<br />
supplies gradually ran out<br />
in May. A smooth transition is en-<br />
sured by the Cypriots and then the<br />
Italian crop. Spain has increased<br />
its sowings from approx. 4000 ha<br />
to 16,000 ha, about 10,000 of them<br />
in Andalusia. The Southern Spanish<br />
crops are delayed, owing to a<br />
cold April in these regions.<br />
Spain, Portugal and Italy should<br />
supply the north-west European<br />
fresh markets from the end of May<br />
/ beginning of June. German crops<br />
(Palatinate) are expected from mid-<br />
June (for the fresh market). Overall,<br />
the fresh market for very early and<br />
early potatoes seems to be balanced.<br />
For early processing crops,<br />
sowing in the two main growing<br />
basins (Germany and Belgium)<br />
took place during the second half<br />
of March. Favourable weather after<br />
the rain returned (around 8th May)<br />
bulked up the potatoes (size and<br />
dry matter content) and the first<br />
liftings for processing are expected<br />
from the 3rd week in June for German<br />
irrigated crops and the end of<br />
June in Belgium.<br />
Surprising plunge<br />
at the end of the season<br />
2006 crop sales ended on a surprising<br />
note. From the end of April the<br />
global offer outstripped demand<br />
and prices plunged. Covered by<br />
pre-season contracts and the volumes<br />
bought in recent months for<br />
later delivery, the Belgian, Dutch<br />
and French processors were not<br />
buying much on the open market.<br />
Supplies, on the other hand, rose,<br />
€/100 kg exclusive of VAT<br />
33<br />
31<br />
29<br />
27<br />
25<br />
23<br />
21<br />
2 0 0 7<br />
mainly from the Dutch growers, as<br />
high April temperatures rendered<br />
storage hazardous. Supply pressure<br />
was also in evidence in Germany.<br />
The month of May is also regularly<br />
punctuated by holidays, so the<br />
processors do less work. The factories<br />
have planned out the working<br />
days that remain before changing<br />
over to the new crop. As time goes<br />
on, the uncertainty about when the<br />
early potatoes will be available di-<br />
EUROFRESH<br />
DISTRIBUTION<br />
2007 crop trends in Europe<br />
Evolución de las plantaciones 2007 en Europa<br />
Early Storage Total<br />
200 surface 2007 200 surface 2007 200 surface 2007<br />
area (ha) trend area (ha) trend area (ha) trend<br />
Germany 1 , 00<br />
m<br />
1 3,000<br />
m<br />
1 7, 00<br />
m<br />
Belgium 12,100 m 2,200 l m ,300 m<br />
France +/-13,000 ? 10 ,000 lm +/- 11 ,000 l<br />
Great Britain +/- 20,000<br />
m<br />
107,000<br />
m<br />
+/- 127,000<br />
m<br />
Netherlands - - 9,000 lm 9,000 l<br />
Belgium: RWAP-PCA<br />
France: SNM<br />
Germany: Reka – Rhineland<br />
Netherlands: Rotterdam<br />
<strong>89</strong><br />
minishes. Certain factories have<br />
brought their annual holidays forward<br />
from July to June. The aim is<br />
to start the new season with very<br />
low stocks of finished products,<br />
since these products have been expensive<br />
to produce and store and<br />
the average quality is lower than<br />
normal. How the German and Belgian<br />
early crops develop remains<br />
the decisive factor for the end of<br />
the 2006/07 season and the start<br />
of 2007/08.<br />
Bintje prices, all grades, for frying, bulk / Precio de la Bintje, ..., fritas, granel<br />
S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S18 S19 S20<br />
27/02 20/03 11/04 02/05
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