Greece: Difficult situation for potato growers

The reason for this is the low prices registered for both the spring and autumn potatoes, a result of both a very large spring harvest and the larger volumes of cheap imported potatoes from France because of the embargo.

According to Dimitris Kavadas, president of of the Horticultural Cooperatives of Preveza, a large volume of potatoes from spring 2014 were still in refrigerated storage in December, when normally the trading period ends in mid-August. Moreover, producer prices for spring potatoes in Ilia reached 0.15-0.20 Euro, which is 50% less than in the previous season, when it fluctuated between 0.35 and 0.45 Euro per kilo.The low prices ​​for spring potatoes had a direct impact on autumn potatoes, which combined with the greater imports from France as a result of the embargo brought prices down even further.A similar trend has been observed in most European countries, with the exception of Northwest Europe, with a production in 2014 estimated to exceed 28 million tonnes, 4 million above the average of the last five years, according to the latest report of the Potato Council.The loss for potato growers in Greece is great taking also into account that the yield of autumn potatoes is of just a tonne per hectare in many areas because of the frosts registered in December, when it is normally of 2-3 tonnes per hectare.