AHDB shares exclusive views on Potato Trade 2017

Potato processors from Great Britain may have to look to import raw products from further afield than usual, perhaps looking to countries such as Poland, where the harvest has been better than in NEPG countries, says Arthur Marshall, analyst AHDB Potatoes, for PotatoBusiness.com. One of the major challenges for the upcoming period is to ensure the requirements for raw products. “However, varieties and specifications can be different to local supplies, so the challenge will be to source imports that service their requirements. Also, processors will be aware of the need for rigorous plant health checks,” Marshall says. The AHDB analyst explains that potato production was lower year-on-year across the NEPG countries (NL, B, FR, GB, and DE). At 5.2Mt, the total GB potato crop was the fourth-smallest on records going back to 1960. The total NEPG crop (excluding seed and starch) was the smallest since 2013, although this comes against a rising trend with demand for raw material in Belgium and the Netherlands continuing to grow, according to AHDB data. Full report by Ioana Oancea. More