Aviko: Potato Planting Begins under Good Conditions in Germany
Aviko informs that planting the early varieties of the 2017 crop started last week under good conditions in Rhineland/Western Germany and the planting season has also started in Southern Germany/Bavaria, with mild weather and favorable ground conditions.
“While it is normal to start the plantings of the early crop in this period, the weather over the last few weeks in Northwest Europe, as well as relatively dry soil conditions, may lead to an earlier start when it comes to planting the main crop - we'll have to keep an eye on the conditions and see if this optimistic view continues,” Jan Willem Peters, Aviko Potato, comments.
Alongside planting, the old crop is still running for another three and a half months, according to Aviko Potato. The moderate yield of the 2016 crop - and the processing capacity expansion in Belgium and Holland - will cause the supply of raw material to be tight but we're hopeful the early availability of the new crop will lead to a smooth transition.
“While supply seems tight, there is not a huge amount of daily trade so potato prices are stable. As long as no processors have any coverage issues, the situation should remain this way - although new demand from one or two processors can easily shake up the market due to the limited volume of free traded potatoes this year. Thankfully, when it comes to quality, there are no major issues,” says Peters.
Due to moderate yields, seed supply for the 2017 crop was also tight and it was a challenge to get the required volumes needed.
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