This is a subscriber-only article
Comment: There has been little change in the domestic potato market. Wholesale and peeling market 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 on drier land.
There is no panic, as growers in general are ahead of schedule and are prioritising other tillage operations. North-Western European Potato Growers (NEPG) has estimated that the area for consumption potatoes in 2019 will increase between 1% and 2% towards almost 604,000ha in the five main production countries.
This is the largest area for more than 10 years and has been driven both by higher prices and processing demand, and also by the poor forward prices in both the sugar beet and overall cereal sector. On this basis, Irish growers need to carefully consider planting decisions as there will be enough product to last until the new season.
SHARING OPTIONS: