We over wintered some in 2012, 17 & 19. Roughly 20% losses but dictated by frost more than anything else. Generally easier lifting because any rots have dissolved by then and saturation rescinded
Potato Price Tracker
- Thread starter chipchap
- Start date
I assume fry colour shot and need offloading into processing asap?
Processing (chip & crisp) is where fry colours are important - makes no difference to packing
Fry colour is very variety dependent - over winter Taurus or Dell will be knackered, markies or royal likely ok
Austin7
Member
We have had growers either getting out or cutting back then a late spring then a drought then two months with little sun followed by one of the most difficult harvests and growers still don't have confidence to set their own prices. If not now when I ask myself. Why would any grower take notice of a "merchant" . Today we are delivering whites to London for £14 a bag and Reds for £15. We are not expensive I know of 4 other senders at a higher price, there are probably many more. We are cheap for the moment only because Mr Barclays is holding his thieving hand out. Would somebody please explain why growers are asking merchants "what's the price" when they should just send out their own price list like every other business.
- Location
- Co antrim
Because its farming and we are price takers
Not as simple as that is it? It'd be easy if potatoes weren't a perishable item.
Austin7
Member
Spud it is simple and being a price taker is a voluntary decision taken by the grower. We have worked on our price list for at least forty years. You could start today, print out a price list and email it to your customers. If your current market is £380 set your price at £375, yes for the start there is a cost but over time you will find the whole relationship changes, we never discuss price with our customers everyone pays the same, no discounts. Every month reset the price, upward ratchet only.
Are you a merchant?
I wouldn't call setting your price a fiver below the market exactly being in charge of your destiny.
I'd call it accepting the price dictated by the market and taking a fiver hit to move product.
Austin7
Member
When we started grading this week I rang up merchants. I spoke to other growers and packers, I visited eight stands in Spitalfieds market consulted the Fruit trades Journal Prices and then set a competitive price for our spuds. They are not as good as they might be this year. The starting price is aways difficult, we started at £640 for reds and £560 for whites. Customers get the price list and text in their orders, we don't ask for orders and the door shuts at 10am. We quickly found that £640 was too high so adjusted the list down to £600 on the reds. I know there are plenty of spuds at higher prices but this is where we need to be. If you just ask a merchant you will get a price that makes him a large profit in a short time for no work.
- Location
- West Suffolk
We had the top half of the ridge rotted, then the sound ones lower down gradually rotting when being held in a temp store. Was a pita trying to grade and sell them. They did get a sharp frost or too, I think it was 2010/2011
- Location
- West Suffolk
Neighbour up the road had 600 acres to still get Friday. They harvested all week end even in the rain. They were going very slow, but they have 6 sp harvesters so I guess a dry week and they’d be nearly done. Other people I hear of have anything from 10-60 acres to get still.
- Location
- South lincs
So you set ur prices only to go back on them when they wasn't selling and then undercut the other people? doesn't sound much like setting ur prices to what you want and telling them tough sh!t
Devil's advocate
Member
- Location
- Posh side of Barnsley
He does seem to be getting a decent price, its not a bad system.
Hindsight
Member
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Austin7 - follow your comments with interest. You are dealing direct with Wholesale market stalls. Much of the UK crop is grown on a contract price for processors and supermarket packers. Thus the price is know in advance for budgeting and profit forecast purposes - whether that is at a level it should be is another matter. Yours is quite a specialist market? But does show what a market will pay when the ultimate retailer is not as in control of the supply and retail chain. Cheers.
Austin7
Member
Yes dead right we have a budget tons sold per week which we try to stick to. The first week is always difficult as with spuds quality comes into it ours are not as good as usual so yes we do have to buy into the market yes we do trip others out, mostly not by being cheaper but being better. The crucial thing is that we set the price we don't let our customers tell us. I don't think we are undercutting too many at £600 a ton. We don't claim we can buck the market. Fendt don't ask farmers what their tractors are worth, they charge what they can get away with. Not selling enough they chuck in 0% finance and dealer discount, but they are never cheap, our spud trading is no different.
That's fine if you have the local markets, appropriate storage, grading and delivery capacity, and have plenty of £ to ride the £40 years.
- Location
- South lincs
Supply and demand sets the price more than anything, all good saying i want this price for them and that's it but what happens when the budget doesn't get met? price goes down?
Bossfarmer
Member
- Location
- between Perth and Inverness
w
whos ur neighbour? dyson?
Austin7
Member
Thanks for your post. The Potato industry is full of specialist sectors each living in a closed world. Growers are divided and too many robbed. For my sins over 30 years ago I was Chairman of the NFU Potatoes Committee and as such had to subject myself to the frustration of growers across the country. One thing that got to me was growers meekly taking what they were offered by "merchants" The start of this thread was "Now that the AHDB potato council has been kicked into touch, does the Forum have a place in providing a resource for price information?" The strange thing is that when growers are told how much they should be getting they then shoot the messenger. I go round the markets looking at samples and ask stand holders what they are paying for them and too often I get told that they are "open ticket" Yes believe it or not even this year potatoes are dumped on the market. In my view asking a merchant how much isn't a lot better. There is no longer an independent NFU potatoes Committee, AHDB destroyed the Potato Council, productivity has flat lined. The question that started this thread does need an answer, I would hope we can use it to learn from each other in a positive way.
Expanded and improved Sustainable Farming Incentive offer for farmers published
Expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive offer from July will give the sector a clear path forward and boost farm business resilience.
From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and The Rt Hon Sir Mark Spencer MP Published21 May 2024
Full details of the expanded and improved Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer available to farmers from July have been published by the...
From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and The Rt Hon Sir Mark Spencer MP Published21 May 2024
Full details of the expanded and improved Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer available to farmers from July have been published by the...