Potatoes: 24/08/2021

Ex-farm potato prices reported to the IFA

Low High Average

Rooster box (New Season) €525 €580 €550

Rooster 10 kg (New Season) €6 €7 €6.50

New Season Queens 10 kg bag €5.50 €6.50 €6

Comment: With the return of warmer weather, markets have been quieter for the past few days, but this should improve as schools begin to return this week. Harvesting of some early main-crop Rooster continues this week. So far, average yields have been reported. Reports indicate that there will be a lull between the earliest main-crop Rooster and the rest of the crop due to growing conditions earlier in the year. Again, almost all old-season Rooster crop has been moved and very few growers have any stock remaining. Demand for Queens remains strong, with more growers finishing this week. The peeling trade continues to prosper to coincide with the end of the holiday period. In the UK, most mainline packers are now moving on to new-crop whites, although some are still taking in old-crop for cheaper lines. Secondary packers will mostly stay on old-crop for another week. Across Europe, yields are reported to be catching up, but temperatures in northern Europe have been close to or below average again this week. Market traders confirm that volumes are now back to pre-pandemic levels and more new-crop is being seen on the markets this week.