Potato Market Report 9th April

There has been little change in the domestic potato market. Wholesale and peeling markets prices have stabilised following some selling pressure as growers tried to move on ambient store material. However, this ambient stock both here and abroad will have left the market by the end of the month. Planting has continued over the past number of days but only in a haphazard fashion and only on drier land.

There is no panic as growers in general are ahead of schedule and are prioritising other tillage operations. The NEPG (North-Western European Potato Growers) have estimated that the upcoming area for consumption potatoes in 2019 will increase between 1 and 2 % towards almost 604.000 ha in the 5 main production countries. This is the largest area for more than ten years and has been driven both by higher prices, processing demand but also by the poor forward prices in both the sugar beet and overall cereal sector in the EU. On this basis, Irish growers need to carefully consider planting decisions as despite poor yields across Europe this season there will ultimately be enough product to last until the new season in July.