Russian and Pole buyers looking abroad for potatoes

Buyers are turning to Estonia in search of potatoes after the floods in Poland and the drought in Russia wiped out large portions of the potato harvests in those countries.

Estonian potato farmers are reporting that their phones are ringing off the hook with offers, according to the weekly Maaleht.

Peeter Leppik from the Tartu-based grower Karre Ltd. said the Polish are actually offering 0.6 euro cents per kilo higher than what he gets from his domestic customers.

However, he said: "It's not worth running after those customers with your tongue wagging and snot dripping off your nose. Next year it would be very difficult to get these clients back."

Another grower said he was getting five to six calls from Russia per day, mainly from entrepreneurs trying to cash in on the current difficult situation with potatoes in their country.