“The Economic Times” writes that Europeans consume perhaps the most potatoes in the world. It is estimated that an average person consumes 90 kilograms of potatoes per year.
Here, the company Mintec Ltd., which collects data on global commodity prices, announces that the prices of English white potatoes have increased by 81 percent in just one year. and set an all-time record. Prices are expected to rise further until 2024, when a new crop of potatoes is produced.
So, could the wave of rising potato prices in some countries, including Europe, also reach Lithuania?
An appreciation scenario is not ruled out
Indrė Lukoševičienė, head of the Lithuanian Vegetable Growers’ Association, told the tv3.lt news portal that it is too early to assess and say whether potato prices will be higher this year than last year.
“Our gardeners are still planting potatoes, so it’s very difficult to judge what the market will be like when we start digging potatoes at the end of the year,” she explained.
However, the interlocutor does not rule out that if the demand for potatoes in the market really increases even more, the prices may indeed change.
“If there is already a problem and we see that there is a possible shortage of potatoes in Europe, it is likely that the shortage in the market, when we dig potatoes, can lead to higher prices for potatoes,” she said.
According to I. Lukoševičienė, it is also difficult to assess the price differences compared to last year, because it is not known what the demand for potatoes will be.
“We should remember last year’s onion crisis, when there was a shortage of onions in Europe and around the world due to rains and unfavorable climatic conditions. It was then that onion prices jumped significantly.
But as far as I know, there are more potato growers than onion growers. It’s likely that we’ll even out. It is not clear what the climate will be like in Europe. Because now the harvest has started in the countries further south. And yes – their losses affect the general market, but to see what the market situation will be, it is best to say in the summer or approaching autumn, when the mass digging of potatoes begins”, said the interviewer.
Ignas Hofmanas, Chairman of the Lithuanian Agricultural Council, seconded that if this problem is relevant in the European Union (EU) countries, it is likely that the price changes for potatoes will not overtake Lithuania either.
“The EU is like a common market, there is free movement of goods. And if the problems that will arise in all of Europe, there may be an increase in prices in Lithuania as well. However, it is still too early to talk about it. The harvest of early potatoes will only be in June, so it is very difficult to say what the situation will be in Lithuania.
But that the mentioned factors can influence the final prices, it is true. Because, as I said, this is the common market, the free movement of goods. And, if the supply of goods is stuck somewhere, the price will rise, Lithuanian potatoes may or may not be exported”, thought I. Hofman.
At that time, I. Lukoševičienė also mentioned that the heavy snow that fell in Lithuania in April probably would not cause much damage.
“Since only the early varieties are planted at the moment, the growers did not survive too long before the weather worsened. It would have been a bigger problem if the cold lasted for a longer period, that is, for a few days there would be a minus temperature, which would reach about 5 or 7 degrees of cold.
In addition, some farms protected themselves from snow by covering vegetables with agrofilm, because onions, early potatoes, lettuce, carrots, and cabbage are also planted. Small frosts are not critical, that is, they do not have a big impact,” said the representative of the association.
Fruit and berry growers were affected
Martynas Rusteika, head of the VH Lithuania branch of the German mutual insurance fund Vereinigte Hagel, says that the crops have not yet grown enough to be affected by the sudden cold weather. According to him, “VH Lietuva” should calculate the frost damage in more detail next week.
“The frosts were really not that great, because the plants have not yet reached the stage of growth when (cold weather – BNS) can cause very large losses (for crop farms – BNS),” M. Rusteika told BNS.
“It is a normal situation that there is frost and snow in April. You just need to watch the plants,” he said.
According to M. Rusteika, the cold weather lasted too short, and farms would actually experience losses if the air temperature dropped below zero in May or June. As the weather warms, crops will recover, he said.
“It is still early – it is not May or June, when the plants are in full bloom, and the frost damage would be significantly greater. Now, the plants are not yet at the stage of flowering, so that there would be big losses”, said the manager of VH Lietuvos.
At that time, I. Hofman thought that the crops could have been damaged only by a layer of snow several centimeters thick that fell in northern Lithuania and destroyed the crops.
“The extent of the damage is still very difficult to say, but it will leave some consequences – that’s for sure. But plants injured in one way or another so early have the ability to regenerate: grow back, produce new shoots, new branches. It is possible that culturally the plants will recover and the damage to the harvest will not be visible,” I. Hofman told BNS.
According to M. Rusteika, farmers did not experience “significant losses” due to the snow. At that time, according to I. Hofman, fruit growers suffered the most damage.
“There is definitely damage to the gardens and we will see the consequences of those frosts a little later,” said the representative of the farmers.
At the beginning of the week, when the weather got colder, a lot of snow fell in northern Lithuania. According to the Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service, there was as much as 12-17 centimeters of snow in the vicinity of Panevėžys, Šiauliai and Radviliškis.
Tags: popular Lithuanian vegetable expensive Farmers mention price
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