Potato market pays for quality

By FWi staff

DESPITE continuing pressure on the potato market, returns have started to improve for best quality produce.

Best bulk packing material is trading from 80-100/t, with a small amount of exceptional material at 140/t, notes the British Potato Council in its weekly report.

But although movement is generally good, the large volume of poor and average stocks is continuing to add further pressure on some prices.

“There are tales of growers accepting low prices to clear stores, and dealers are left barking mad trying to secure sales,” says a spokesman from the BPC.

Large quantities of poor and average material has put pushed grade 2 material as low as 15/t in some cases. Most is trading between 20-40/t.

Bagged Piper is slowly improving, but with poor material at 20/t. Most is between 30-50/t, with the odd samples at 80-125/t.

Processing spot is trading from 15-30/t, with the odd Piper at 35-40/t, notes the BPC.

The BPC weekly GB ex-farm average price inched up slightly by 12p to 61.45/t on the back of firmer prices for best-quality potatoes.

This compares with 180.35/t last year, 81.46/t in 1998 and 56.87/t in 1997.