Slow new crop development boosts old crop spuds

Interest in old crop potatoes is firming through most of Europe because of slow development of new crop, according to the Potato Council.

Holland saw the biggest price increases last week (week to 3 June), with processing potatoes jumping to £217-£261/t ex farm, compared with £174-£235/t the previous week. There were also strong but lesser price increases in France and Germany.

However, the GB average ex farm potato price fell slightly in that week, to average £177/t.

Meanwhile, UK potato exports have continued at a strong pace. In the period from July 2010 to March 2011 they rose by 71% to almost 200,000t. The main customers were in Northern Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Poland.

Over the same period imports of fresh potatoes into GB fell slightly, while total processed products imports were down by 16%.