There is a slight lull in the market this week as buyers have restocked post-Christmas, and sales have yet to resume to normal patterns. However, due to lower stock levels any grower who wants to move product has no problem doing so.
The annual IFA stock survey is now underway and we should have some idea on levels in store in the coming weeks. Physical prices in Northern Europe are holding firm with some increases this week, which were mainly based on the demand from processors in Belgium. As an indication of this, the European Processing April 2019 traded up to €325/t earlier in the week. Due to the high prices, export demand remains light however there was still some interest from Eastern Europe this week. Farm gate prices are holding well in the UK and there have been increases for best quality white lines. On poorer quality lines there was some selling pressure as growers tried to move stock from ambient stores which are not keeping well due to the mild January. These stocks should be moved on soon and prices will stabilise across the board.
Ex-Farm Potato Prices reported to IFA
| Low | High | Average | |
| Rooster box | €500 | €520 | €510 |
| Rooster 10kg bag | €5.75 | €6.25 | €6.00 |
| Whites box | €500 | €550 | €525 |
| Kerr Pinks 10kg bag | €6.25 | €6.75 | €6.50 |
| Golden Wonder box | €680 | €720 | €700 |
