Comment

Planting continues around the country, with good conditions reported in most regions. Some growers have finished or are nearing completion in the southeast region following a dry spell of weather. Consumption has improved slightly in the past week following a colder period. Again, growers storing potatoes are incurring huge increased costs due to soaring energy bills. These costs must be recognised at packer and retail level.

In the UK, conditions are similar to at home, where night temperatures have been quite low and, as a result, have slowed growth. The 2022/23 planted area in northwest Europe could be the lowest for some time and this is a contributing factor to the confidence levels going forward.

The haulage industry in Spain is in chaos and there have been reports of food shortages. Processing futures prices for April/June 2022 are steady, while April 2023 are holding but are likely to increase.