Preliminary reports of potato sown area in Northern Europe show small increases in the processing sector, but the overall area may be the lowest ever recorded, taking into account planting reductions for seed and starch production.
“Across Europe, the early crop is now developing well and buyers for the big processors are restricting their demands almost totally to contracts with limited interest in excess to contract. Free buy prices have fallen back if any buyers can be found. Growers with stocks still in the store are hoping that there may still be a last flourish of interest before the season ends,” according to the latest Irish Farmers’ Association report.
For Ireland, the retail and the processing trade remain unchanged, with good demand for processing material as the holiday season is underway. The remainder of Home Guard and Premier continue to clear. More Queens are coming onto the market this week as many growers have begun lifting in the southeast.
Again, there are reports of frost damage on the earliest planted crops. The Scheme of Investment Aid for the Seed Potato Sector is open for applicants until the 1st of July. Irrigation is well underway for many growers following the past 10 days with almost no rainfall.
