French fry potato market shows early signs of recovery

The French fry potato quotes for Innovator and Agria remain stable this week in Germany. In the Netherlands, PotatoNL recorded the first quote of the season at the beginning of this week. The quotes from PotatoNL mark the first sign of life in the French fry potato market. That does not mean the industry is suddenly buying free-market potatoes in the Netherlands, but gradually there is some movement in the market. So far, only small batches have changed hands. The volume was so low that it did not meet the criteria to be included in the quotations. However, at the beginning of this week, a quote was published Season officially underway Agrias intended for fresh fries in category 2 (not destined for the large factories in Northwest Europe) were quoted by PotatoNL at €5 to €11 per 100 kg. This mainly concerns potatoes intended for fresh fries production in Southern Europe. Field crop consumption potatoes for export were quoted at €4 to €6 per 100 kg Flake potatoes were priced at €1.50 to €1.75 per 100 kg. With this, the season is officially kicked off. The transaction app of DCA reported on Tuesday a batch of 250 tons of Agrias (50 mm upwards) for delivery in October/November, traded for €15 per 100 kg. This falls outside PotatoNL, as it does not concern direct delivery. Today, another batch of 250 tons of Alegrias (40 mm upwards) followed in the app, sold for €5 per 100 kg with prompt delivery. Reka-Rheinland kicked off last Friday with quotations. This week, the prices remain unchanged: €4 per 100 kg for Innovator and €5 for Agria. For Reka members, the minimum daily prices have been set at €3.50 for Innovator and €4.50 for Agria. The quotes are just above this. Quality rejections in France In France, more batches are being rejected for quality reasons. Especially blue and tuber defects are affecting the harvest. Dutch manufacturers have pointed out to growers this year the importance of impeccable quality. Aviko Potato reported this week that the potatoes in Northwest Europe have a high underweight due to the extreme drought in August. For Fontane, this averages just over 420 grams, close to the record level of 2022. For Agria, the underweight is just above 400 grams, and for Innovator above 390 grams. The trial harvests from Aviko show an average yield of 65 tons per hectare this year. This represents high yields compared to previous years. In Germany, the results are disappointing, with 44 tons per hectare (including seed potatoes and starch), less than last year. Also in France, the yields are weaker, estimated at about 42 tons per hectare. Leaving potatoes unharvested increases risk of Phytophthora The Phytophthora Taskforce urges farmers to harvest the potatoes at least. It makes sense to reduce costs given the current low prices, but not harvesting ultimately leads to additional costs in the 2026 season. Unharvested plots are a breeding ground and source of new diseases and pests. It is an expensive matter to have to manage that later on. The Taskforce makes its appeal with the risks of a Phytophthora outbreak in mind, but also points out that not harvesting encourages potato fatigue, Alternaria, wart disease, bacterial diseases, Colorado beetles, and viruses. Moreover, it leads to more leaching of nitrate into groundwater. Growers are reminded of the wet autumn of 2023. At that time, it was too wet to harvest on many plots. Those plots were important new infection sources for Phytophthora in 2024.