Comment: As schools return and the holiday season draws to a close this week, markets are set to improve and stabilise.

More growers are burning off crops this week, while some harvesting of maincrop Rooster continues this week.

However, many growers are reporting that yields are low in the early crops. The Queens market has stabilised, with sales reported as steady. Harvesting of new-season Kerr Pinks has also commenced.

Yields are reported to be quite low on the early crops due to the cold, wet spring.

In the UK, there are reports that the seed sector is very concerned that growers may be tempted to import ware from Holland, which would have a phytosanitary certificate and use their small grades for seed.

Across Europe, the impact of the earlier exceptionally high rainfall (up to 200mm fell in parts of these areas) is beginning to become apparent. Taking Holland, Germany and Belgium together, some 20,000ha are thought to have been affected to some degree.

A potentially strong global export trade in processed product is being restricted by a lack of containers and port congestion.