Potato prices have gone up again.

This week saw an upward shift in the price range at which edible potatoes were sold in large wholesale offers. This mainly affected yellow and red varieties, which had previously been losing in prices. White potatoes also gained, but to a lesser extent, at +2.5 percent, while yellow and red varieties increased on average by +13 percent. However, white potatoes had decreased by -6 percent in October from the average price at the beginning of the month, while the others had dropped by -24 percent.

Currently, the selling prices of potatoes in large wholesale (calibrated up to 45+ and bagged) range from 0.93-1.50 PLN/kg for white varieties and 0.67-1.06 PLN/kg for yellow and red varieties. It is worth noting the significant price range for these vegetables, dependent on the region of the country, but primarily on the variety (Gala traditionally much more expensive than average) and quality. Quality varies widely, and there are significant quality issues in the potato market, leading producers with lower-quality goods to want to quickly sell them, creating a continuous pricing pressure on the Polish edible potato market.

In light of this last fact, it is worth considering the chances of maintaining higher potato prices in the coming weeks. The increase from this week brought a significant qualitative change - the current average price rose above the average of the previous 5 years, indicating the current market condition. However, a similar situation occurred in mid-September and the change did not hold. Moreover, we are still in the harvest period, and even temporary price discounts until December will not be unusual.

The harvest will not be good, and it is known that there will be quality issues. These factors, along with positive demand news (e.g., from the Balkans), even in the second half of the season, will act to stabilize potato prices. Comparing their current level with last year, there is still room for further growth before the New Year.