The Fepex Potato Committee, made up of production and marketing managers from the main production areas, expects a good season this year and similar volumes to last year. The early potato harvest has already begun in Murcia and will be followed by Andalusia.
The rains have affected the main growing areas. However, production is not expected to decrease, so the sector expects similar volumes as last year, stated the president of the Fepex Potato Committee, Alfonso Sáenz de Cámara. In Castilla y León, the rains caused a setback in plantings, so there won't be a decrease in production. In Andalusia, the rains caused a drop in yields, which should be offset by the nearly 10% increase in cultivated area. As a result, this autonomous community's production volume will also be similar to that of last year.
The early potato season began with the first harvests in Murcia and will be followed by Andalusia, the main Spanish new-potato-producing region. The sector expects the widespread harvest will start in the second week of May.
The Fepex Committee, which met yesterday, also expressed concern about the decrease in fresh potato consumption. Consumption data from January to November 2024, provided by MAPA at the last sector meeting on December 3, shows that the national demand for processed and frozen potatoes is growing, and that demand for fresh potatoes is shrinking. In 2024, consumption of processed potatoes stood at 44,288 tons (4% more than in 2023) and consumption of frozen potatoes at 38,014 tons (+13%). In contrast, fresh potato consumption stood at 554,446 tons, 3% less than in the previous year and 11% less than the 621,676 tons average of the past five years. For this reason, the Committee believes it's necessary to promote fresh potato consumption and agreed to participate in the first edition of the Agriculture Fair, SAGRIS, organized by Ifema Madrid in collaboration with the Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture (ALAS), to be held from November 6th to the 8th at Ifema Madrid.
The FEPEX Potato Committee is made up of the National Association of Fruit and Potato Production and Trade (Asonal), the Association of Fruit and Vegetable Producing and Exporting Companies of Andalusia and Extremadura (Asociafruit), the Iberian Club of Potato Professionals (CIPP), the Association of Potato Origin Operators of Castile and Leon (Asopocyl), and the Association of Spanish Seed Potato Producers (APPSE).
For more information: www.fepex.es