Retail trade over the Christmas period was buoyant and it is now back to usual levels. Most growers are in the process of sourcing seed for the upcoming season and with reports that the area planted will reduce again this year, there should be no shortage of seed for the popular varieties. Growers are advised to contact their suppliers as soon as possible. A proportion of home saved seed may be used given some of the issues reported in 2022, however this too has its drawbacks. The peeling trade and price remains buoyant.
In the U.K., movement over the holiday period appears to have kept up with expectations although some buyers are still lagging with their contract movement and particularly with M.Piper. Peelers are taking in contracts but there has also been demand for free buy M.Piper. Growers with samples that are borderline packing quality are now taking the view that with storage costs it would be better to clear stocks now rather than wait for orders which may not appear.
In Europe, factories are back to full production after the holiday break and confidence in the export market for frozen product is strong. The Euro has traded below parity to the Dollar giving export values an added competitive advantage on World markets.
| Low | High | Average | |
| Rooster box (New Season) | €380 | €480 | €430 |
| Rooster 10 kg (New Season) | €4.00 | €5 | €4.50 |
