Harvest has halted across Ireland, and with no improvement in conditions forecast, there is now a different outlook on the season. In October alone, 106mm of rain fell at the Met Eireann Dublin airport site, double this figure – 206mm fell at the Ballyhaise site. The 2022 harvest was already delayed. Apparently, over 20% of the national crop could have to be over-wintered.
The is good demand for Rooster for peeling with prices reported north of €250 this week. Overall prices have firmed up this week. Consumption has also improved as colder weather sets-in.
Across Europe, prices in the fresh produce industry are expected to improve. Producers with quality products are waiting for higher prices. Stocks and production are said to have decreased significantly, currently leading to higher prices. Prices in Poland continue to hit record highs due to additional demand from Ukrainian refugees and interest from importers.
In the UK for chipping varieties, demand has shown a few signs of improvement over the last two weeks and while field work is a priority, sourcing supplies has not always been easy. There are reports that buyers for the French fry sector and for the crisping industry have been targeting some growers and trying to assess availability.