Comment: As wet weather conditions set in across the country, growers face additional challenges and harvesting will be set back in some areas. Lifting of maincrop Rooster is progressing well in the areas that received less rainfall such as the southwest, but reports indicate that yields are below average. Clearance is around 30% complete. Retail demand remains quite strong. However, the food service sector has experienced another blow as stricter lockdown measures are imposed across the country. In the UK, trade remains generally subdued. Packing Maris Piper seems to be the only material gaining traction. Harvesting is reported to be continuing at pace, with growers trying to finish by next week. Clearance is 50%-75% in the south and the midlands, with more growers starting to clear, but in the Fens and Lincolnshire progress is only 20%-30%. In Scotland, harvesting ware crops is 60% complete. Recent estimates show total production in the EU27 is expected to be 54.8 million tonnes (mts) compared with 51.23mts last year and 56.38mts in 2017. Physical markets across Europe remain unchanged with processors only taking light volumes of free buy.

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