The month of July is a key moment in the development of thepotato campaign in Spain. This is the time of transition between patateras areas: The collections end in the earliest areas of the Peninsula, and begin in the later areas.
It is the perfect time to reflect on the results obtained since April, when the first starts of the earliest potatoes began in areas such as Valencia, Murcia and Andalusia. It is also time to, based on these results, predict the development of crops in later areas, such as Castilla y León.
Impressions of the first half of the 2022 potato campaign
In Cartagena and Valencia, the first starts of this campaign were delayed because of the heavy rains of March and April. Producers had to wait until mid-May to resume widespread harvesting tasks. In these areas, the potatoes most affected were the early ones and destined for the washing market, with productions and qualities well below the usual. Many problems of rotting, second growths and deformations of tubers have been found. As for late varieties such as AGRIA, the yields and quality of the tubers are also below expectations.
Undoubtedly, the results of the first half of the potato campaign have been very marked by excess water and mildew attacks.
The drought marked the development of crops in Andalusia, especially in Seville. But the starts could start normally at the end of April, taking the lead to Cartagena. In addition, the quality of the Sevillian potatoes completely stole the prominence of the appreciated potatoes of Cartagena.
Predictions of late crop results
The first starts have begun in provinces such as Albacete and Castilla y León, in which the results are being very good, especially in Valladolid, Zamora and Salamanca. The qualities of the tubers are excellent, and the productions reach 60 tons per hectare. So in a couple of weeks, we will have a good volume of potatoes from these areas to supply the domestic market and European exports.
Everything indicates that the results in Castilla y León will be very good: excellent quality of the tubers and high yields.
As usual, the end of the campaign in Cartagena and Andalusia will overlap with the beginning of the collections in Castilla y León. So the market foresees some uncertainty in prices during the coming weeks.
It is still too early to estimate the results of the Galician fields, but the producers in the area are optimistic about the weather conditions that have occurred during the development of the crops.
Prices of the 2022 potato season
As usual in the potato trade in Spain, the uncertainty and dynamism of prices have marked the prices of the campaign to date. In general, the prices at origin have been higher than those seen in previous campaigns. Especially at the beginning of the campaign due to the shortage of potatoes. A shortage attributed in the first place to the reduction of sown area, and to the crops lost due to quality and health problems.
The first washing potatoes in Seville, with good quality, were quoted between 60-70 cents, and then stabilized between 35-55 cents depending on the variety. In Cartagena, when joining the market later than Seville, they did not exceed 50 cents at any time, being the AGRIA the best quoted. In Valencia, prices initially reached a ceiling of 40 cents for productions that managed to save floods and mildew attacks. But as usual in Valencia, the prices ended up being below 20 cents.
For the coming weeks, a drop in AGRIA prices is expected
Currently, the AGRIAS that have not yet been marketed in Andalusia and Cartagena, are quoted over 40 cents. But it is expected that in the coming weeks, with the entry into the market of the productions of Albacete and Castilla y León, a decrease of 5-10 cents.
