The spread and fear of coronavirus has stepped up a gear this week, with more than 110 countries or territories reporting 129,000 cases and more than 4, 000 deaths between them, writes potato market analyst Cedric Porter in this week’s issue of World Potato Markets.
The virus is having an impact on the potato industry, Porter says. Some countries are reporting an increase in table potato sales as people stock up on essential goods, but processing potato prices, especially in Europe, have plunged on physical and futures markets.
The current crisis is being likened to the economic crisis which began in 2008. Fries weathered that crisis well. By the end of 2013 global exports of fries were 22.5% higher than in 2008 at 6.108 million tonnes
