Potato Market Ticking Along with Small Price Increase

The market continues to tick along with all growers moving stock easily. There have been small price increases this week as growers seek to cover the increased costs of storage.

However, other growers need to look at their costs as they continue to sell product into wholesale markets in particular, at similar prices to January. Essentially, we are now in the month of March and growers who have not sought an increase in returns have taken a price decrease in real terms.

There has been very little progress on early plantings but as soon as soil conditions allow it will begin in earnest. Again, growers considering planting queens need to remember that there are still small amounts of last season’s crop on the market despite over 1,000 tonnes having being exported at poor prices. Therefore, a significant acreage reduction is required from last year if we want a sustainable market for earlies in 2017.

Ex-Farm Potato Prices reported to IFA