Scarcity of potatoes drives up prices

Edibles - Scarcity of potatoes drives up prices

Right now, customers are experiencing higher prices for early potatoes compared to last year. In the past fortnight, the average cost for a kilo of mostly boiling spuds stood at approximately 1.63 euros, as per Christoph Hambloch, a specialist at the Agricultural Market Information Company (AMIC) in Bonn.

Last year during the same period, the average price was slightly lower at 1.54 euros per kilo, Hambloch mentioned. Nevertheless, he believes "prices should decrease again by July."

The current supply of early taters has been less abundant than usual, leading to higher costs. German agriculturists could have begun sowing early potatoes in traditional harvesting areas by February or March. Unfortunately, rainfall followed in the south and southwest. Notably, significant delays arose in areas like the Rhineland, the Netherlands, and Belgium, due to the wet conditions, Hambloch explained.

Harvesting for direct marketing and warehousing for significant markets has been happening in Lower Saxony, as well as in the Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg since the second half of May. However, Hambloch noted that this only concerns a smaller segment of farmers. The main business, involving packaged potatoes distributed in supermarkets, will start in the second half of June. Unfortunately, since the spring was wet, the potato plants didn't gather sufficient power, resulting in a postponement of the harvest's start.

Fewer early potatoes available from international sources

Countries such as Israel, Egypt, and Spain have contributed less to the early potato supply this year. In Spain, prolonged droughts occurred in January and February, and thus the expected yield was reduced. Regrettably, this has reduced the overall availability of early potatoes.

Moreover, Hambloch spoke about the scarcity of seed potatoes. "The production of seed potatoes is expensive, so an appropriate price is essential." However, with numerous farmers unhappy with the profit potential, many have switched away from cultivating seed potatoes. The ban on particular pesticides adds to the challenge for these growers, as the possibility of diseases grows. If they can no longer meet the requirements for marketing as seed potatoes, all their hard work is essentially pointless, Hambloch added. As such, locating farmers to multiply seed potatoes is becoming increasingly challenging.

It isn't yet clear if the recent flooding in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg will affect the spud harvest.

Read also:

1. Despite the higher prices for early potatoes in Germany, Spain also experienced a price increase due to reduced yields caused by prolonged droughts.
2. Christoph Hambloch, an expert at AMI in Bonn, believes that prices for early potatoes will decrease again by July, despite current scarcity.
3. The wet conditions in traditional harvesting areas like the Rhineland, the Netherlands, and Belgium delayed the sowing of early potatoes this year, leading to less abundant supplies.
4. The scarcity of seed potatoes is another issue, as the cost of production is high, and farmers are unhappy with profit potential, causing many to switch away from cultivation.
5. Germany imports early potatoes from countries like Israel, Egypt, and Spain, but reduced yields in these countries have also contributed to the overall scarcity.
6. Agriculturists in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria are closely watching recent floods to see if they will impact the potato harvest further.

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