Potato prices in Spain have skyrocketed due to the drought and subsequent rains in Europe. On Wednesday, September 18, potato prices at the Market of Leon ranged between € 210.00 (319.54 CAD) / ton and € 280.00 (426.05 CAD) / ton; a year ago they ranged between 40 and 90 euro per ton. In France, the main potato exporting country in Europe, which supplies the Spanish market, production is expected to decrease by 10% to 15%. In addition, the tuber will be small and of very poor quality.
The dry and warm summer followed by storms has made forced the potatoes to sprout before they finished growing, something that the French farmers had never seen; a phenomenon they are calling mutant potatoes. Now, according to experts from the Market of Leon, the problem is that if the fried food manufacturers don’t lower their quality standards, producers won’t be able to comply with the products they already sold them.
These contracts in France have prices that range between 100 and 150 euro per ton, but experts foresee that the potato can be quoted at more than 250 euro per ton in the free market. The situation in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany is even worse, as production in these countries will fall by more than 25%.
As stated previously, in Leon, potatoes prices range € 210.00 /tons to € 280.00 /tons depending on the variety; a year ago, on the same dates, prices ranged between 40 and 90 euro.
Even though the area devoted to this product is very similar to the one there was in the last campaign (about 1,500 has), the sector expects there will be a nearly 10% decrease in yields and that they will stand at around 40.000 kg per hectare, mainly because of the excessive water there was at the beginning of the tuber’s life and because of a fierce attack of mildew, especially in the producing area of Valduerna this summer.
On Wednesday, the prices of the Canela and Riñon de Leon bean varieties stood at a price of € 1.35 (2.05 CAD) / kg and € 1.00 (1.52 CAD) / kg respectively.
