Potatoes: 16/11/2021

Ex-farm potato prices reported to the IFA

Low High Average

Rooster box (new season) €380 €450 €400

Rooster 10kg (new season) €4 €5 €4.50

Queens 10kg bag €5 €6 €5.5

New-season Kerr Pinks €5 €6 €5.50

Comment: Due to rising COVID-19 numbers, there is an air of uncertainty regarding markets at present. Home consumption is expected to pick up, especially with colder weather forecast. A lot of growers are now finished harvesting crop into stores, with the exception of Donegal, where progress is still ongoing.

Quality of material is reported to be very good, with the general narrative that yields are average. Input costs, particularly fertiliser and energy, are gaining a lot of attention in the past week among growers. Energy costs will be significant for growers with potatoes in store over winter.

Across Europe, COVID-19 is back on the agenda, despite some very encouraging figures for export of frozen product and factory activity back to full production. Markets are wary that restrictions may be enforced again.

Overall, now that harvesting has almost finished, top up supplies for processors need to come from store and growers are slowly forcing prices higher in the range. Export demand remains steady, with values broadly unchanged.