WHOLESALER SAYS YIELDS AND QUALITY HAVE BEEN BETTER THAN SOUTH-WEST, BUT LATE BLIGHT HAS CREATED PROBLEMS FOR NATURAL POTATO GROWERS
THE northern regions of the Netherlands are seeing higher potato yields than the south-west this year, as well as better quality crops, while organic crops have been particularly poor, according to one of the country’s wholesalers, Lanjuweel.
In a recent report by Fresh Plaza, the company’s Head of Procurement, Frank Poelman, said: “Although there is still a lot of grubbing to do, yields in our area seem better than in the south-west, although it has to be said that the differences locally are big. It’s a similar story when it comes to quality.”
He said it’s difficult to estimate how big yields will actually be as the season is a lot later and there are plenty of plots that still have potential
“There are plots where grubbing is only 60% of the average of previous years, but there are also plots with 20% higher yields. But there is still a lot of grubbing to do,” he said. “All in all, I expect we will end up with a reasonably average harvest in the EU’s big four potato countries.”
He said demand for potatoes is good and will supply of large potatoes is still limited, they’re in good demand.
“Traditionally, potato sales show a dip in the summer, but this year demand has been less quiet than other years and sales have continued quite well. Also, export figures are certainly not bad at the moment. Early potatoes did not run over in terms of volume, but what is being grubbed up is also sold off reasonably well. Prices fell hard after the old harvest, but we are now seeing a stabilisation in the market.”
Organic yields had been poor and growers have faced particular challenges because of pressure from Phytophthora, he said, with some being forced to spray their crops with pesticides and sell them as conventional varieties. As a result, their prices were high.
