There are good conditions for the sale of early potatoes on the Moldavian market this year, but with relatively few locally produced spuds.

The first tubers harvested from the fields under plastic film will go on sale around May 5-10, according to representatives of the Association of Potato Growers of Moldova cited by East Fruit.

“The cool weather that settled in the second half of April will probably not slow down the ripening,” the Moldavian experts mentioned.

Most likely, the same experts say, locally grown early potatoes will probably go on sale almost simultaneously with imported ones this year. Based on their assessment, it is still cold in the regions of Romania, from which early expensive potatoes are exported for the Moldovan market.

Market players say that early potatoes have become a niche, store product over the previous two years of the pandemic. Their USD1.08-1.36 per kilo prices in the chain retail this year will not contrast too much with the price of last year’s washed potatoes packed in nets or casseroles and flow pack bags.

Farms in several southern and eastern regions of the country have been specializing in their cultivation for many years. According to expert estimates, the total area of their fields in the best seasons was about 300-400 ha. However, it has been rapidly declining in the last two or three years due to competition with imported early potatoes, as well as due to a reorientation towards the production of late potatoes.