The marketing of the first small loads from the Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg officially heralded the start of this year's German early potato season. The campaign began a good week earlier than last year, reports Lothar Meyer, who runs his own early potato business in the Palatinate in addition to trading seed potatoes. "The produce already has a good starch content and excellent flavor, which is not a given at the start of the season. Otherwise, the produce is slightly larger than in previous years." Prices are currently at around the same level as in the previous two years, Meyer continues.
Due to its proximity to the wholesale markets in Frankfurt, Karlsruhe, and Mannheim, the season for Palatinate potatoes traditionally starts a little earlier here. From calendar week 21, supraregional supplies to wholesale markets in the Rhine-Ruhr area, Berlin, and Hamburg will also pick up speed. Meyer: "In Baden-Württemberg, the harvest began at almost the same time as in the Palatinate, so that the Stuttgart wholesale market already has its own regional produce in circulation. In calendar week 21, other growing regions such as Lower Saxony, Rhineland, and Kaiserstuhl will also come onto the market, which is likely to have an impact on the price structure."
The first domestic early potatoes are already being traded at the Frischezentrum Frankfurt. With a market share of around 80 percent in German wholesale, the Annabelle variety remains the flagship in the salad potato segment. The Gloriette variety is also attracting increasing attention.
Declining potato consumption after Easter
The cultivation capacity for early potatoes has remained fairly stable compared to last year. However, due to the optimal weather conditions, a relatively abundant harvest is expected, according to Meyer. "The first firm-skinned potatoes for the food retail trade are usually shipped from June 20, possibly a little earlier this year. On the wholesale markets, German early potatoes are in direct competition with Cyprus, while competition in the food retail sector is somewhat more diverse, with produce from Egypt, Israel, and Spain. In the latter, extensive rainfall is expected to result in higher bacterial pressure. Overall, potato consumption is declining slightly after Easter."
Imported produce currently dominates the organic early potato segment. "There are virtually no old organic ware potatoes left, which is why many food retailers have already switched completely to imports from Egypt and Israel. Domestic organic early potatoes will not be available until the second half of June," says Meyer.
Apart from early potatoes, the signs for this year's main harvest are not particularly promising. "It is extremely dry in most of Germany's growing regions. The grain is already suffering badly, and unfortunately, there is no rain in sight. In this respect, it will be an exciting year for potatoes. The early potato regions mostly have appropriate irrigation systems, but the big question is what will happen after that. If the weather stays as it is now, I am rather critical about the vegetation of the ware potatoes," he concludes.
For more information:
Lothar Meyer
Meyer GmbH
Pommernstraße 27
66976 Rodalben
Phone: +49 6331-2326-0
Fax: +49 6331-2326-11
[email protected]
www.pflanzkartoffel-meyer.de