The French Potato Interprofessional (CNIPT) has stated that the country’s fresh potato exports fell dramatically in April 2021. During this month, the French sector exported 233,870 tons of fresh potatoes, i.e. 11% less than in April 2020 and 6% less than the same period’s average of the last three years. In value, the fall was more pronounced, with a 33% decrease over April of the previous campaign.
According to the interprofessional, this slowdown in the flow of shipments is due to two main factors: the fall in the availability of offers that meet the buyers’ quality requirements and the low demand from the wholesale market (which is related to the closing of restaurants and the sanitary restrictions there were in most European countries during this period).
Specifically, in April French potato exports to Spain fell by 8% in volume, shipments to Italy fell by 39%, to Germany by 42%, and to the UK by a whopping 94%. Meanwhile, exports to Belgium continue to accelerate and the volume exported to this destination increased by 25%.
In general, from the start of the campaign in August 2020 to April 2021, exports have exceeded 1.5 million tons, registering a 7.8% decrease when compared to the same period in the previous campaign.
Meanwhile, France has imported 166,580 tons of potatoes since the beginning of the campaign, which represents a 24% year-on-year reduction.
Source: agronewscastillayleon.com