The European Potato Stocks Continue to Tighten

Concerns about the season's water supply are prevalent throughout Europe, especially in France. On the mainland, potato supplies are getting increasingly scarce. Stocks in France were predicted to be 33.9% lower than in 2021 and 30.8% lower than in January 2022 at the end of January.

Similar circumstances are preventing any planting work in the UK, and harvests could be impacted as well. This week, demand for fries potato varieties has been “a little bit subdued” but prices are still steady across the board and farmers are frequently only issuing small amounts of product.

Irish domestic usage is still strong, and peeling stock demand is reportedly increasing. Due to the devastation caused by the current weather, no field work has been done for the past few weeks. March 2023 saw more than twice as much precipitation as March 2022. According to reports, this week's potato shipments to the mainland are ongoing.

“The 2023 Scheme of Investment Aid for the Seed Potato Sector and the Chipping Potato Sector is now open and will close on Friday the 14th of April,” the latest IFA potato report concluded.