The potato harvest in the Spanish region of Castile and Leon is now in its final phase, with higher production as a result of the increase in the acreage, which has almost reached 20,000 hectares, FreshPlaza informs.
“At the moment, we are harvesting mainly in the provinces of Valladolid, Segovia and Burgos. This year, the harvest will finish around 15 days later due to a delay in the start of the season,” says Juan Manuel Coello, Sales Director of Patatas Meléndez.
“Although yields have not been high due to the impact of rainfall, the 12% growth in the acreage this year has resulted in a higher production volume. This, in a global context in which production has increased throughout Europe, has led to price drops compared to previous years and to exports falling,” he says.
According to Coello, the growers who planted potatoes without first planning their sales are the ones getting the lowest prices and finding it most difficult to market their crops. “Those growers who planted with the idea of selling on the highly speculative open market are dealing with very low demand and prices this year. Moreover, some of the varieties planted are not even in demand in either the fresh or the industrial market”.
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“All our potatoes, as well as those of the majority of companies handling large volumes, are sold via programs with large retailers. In this way, the growers who work with us are always guaranteed to make a profit. Opportunistic sales outside a proper sales structure can be profitable in years when potatoes are expensive, but ruinous in more challenging seasons, such as this one,” he says.
Juan Manuel Coello says: “Although it now seems to have stabilized, fresh potato consumption has been on a falling trend in recent years. Processed potato consumption has continued to gain ground on that of fresh potatoes. At the moment, I think it will be hard for consumption to increase, but we are confident that it will continue to do so with the launch of products adapted to current consumption habits, with special formats for pre-prepared convenience food, microwave meals or generally more convenient options.”
“I believe that consumers need more information about the nutritional benefits of potatoes, as well as false myths, such as ‘it being a fattening food’, which still need to be debunked. As a sector, we all need to invest in communication and marketing to highlight the qualities of Spanish potatoes as a healthy and locally grown source of carbohydrates,” says Coello.
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