IFA: Across Europe, Potato Lifting is ‘Almost Complete’
Although there are still 10 to 15% of potatoes to harvest in Normandy, 10% in central Belgium, and a tiny area in south-eastern Holland, lifting is now almost complete throughout Europe.
Although the potato free-buy trade is still low volume in physical markets, purchasers are now more interested in dry, well-conditioned samples that are ex-store rather than recently lifted crops that are difficult to stabilize in-store.
In the U.K., for chipping varieties demand remains “static” with only limited movement to Ireland. More crop is now being sold out of the store and demand is primarily for branded samples on repeat orders.
In Ireland, the potato trade has been slightly subdued with the recent milder weather for this time of year, as colder conditions are now setting in this trend should change.
“Harvest is now complete in most regions with favorable conditions throughout harvest in general. Yields are reduced on later planted crops particularly early indications and observations from around the country indicate that yields will be lower than 2023, possibly somewhere between 10-15% across the main varieties,” the IFA potato experts concluded.
