A change in the weather should help to boost home consumption of potatoes. Consumption to date this year has been lack-lustre with the recent period of hot weather feeding into this. The bank holiday weekend should also increase demand for the food service sector. Recent rainfall was welcome for crops. More premier and home guards are coming onto the market this week and so far, demand has been reported to be good.
In the U.K. conditions remain very dry in many places and growers are irrigating where possible. In some areas growers have now been irrigating for a month. On the market situation, contacts report better demand this week from buyers for the main multiples. Demand in the catering sector has still not returned to pre-covid levels and is at similar levels to last year. Across Europe, fresh market prices are holding for very best quality.
