Potatoes - but the prices did not hold up.

The pressure to lower wholesale prices of potatoes in Poland has been visible for a long time. Basically, from the beginning of the regular season in the Polish market, there was pressure to bring down these prices. In August, this pressure was effective, as the current selling price of potatoes in large wholesale clearly fell below the five-year average.

In September, the situation improved - potato prices rose from the low point. Throughout the previous month, they effectively resisted the described pressure. This was likely helped by information about the forecasted weak potato harvest (estimated at 5.8 million tons by the Central Statistical Office). Only slightly higher than last year, but still low compared to the previous decade.

Unfortunately, the optimism of producers did not last long. October brought another drop in potato prices in the Polish wholesale market. Currently, a relatively large amount of produce is entering the market, including some that is not suitable for long-term storage. At the same time, demand has not improved. And again, we see a repeat of a well-known pattern - some producers try to quickly get rid of their goods and lower prices, thereby dragging the entire market down.

Similarly, the pricing policy of retail chains plays a negative role in shaping the price trend in the wholesale market. Some of them offer domestic potatoes at promotional prices around 1.30 PLN/kg. This is of course more expensive than wholesale, but it should be remembered that the farmer receives only a fraction of that money. The low purchase prices imposed by supermarkets with their pricing policy are another component of the pressure in the wholesale market.

Currently, the selling prices of bagged potatoes in size 45+ range mostly from 0.60 to 0.93 PLN/kg, depending on the variety, quality, and region of Poland (yellow and red varieties). Potatoes of varieties with white flesh remain more expensive. Prices for these are currently 0.95-1.45 PLN/kg, although there has been a decrease compared to the peak in September (-8 percent). The relative price drop of yellow and red varieties during this time was greater (-21 percent). They are also back below the 5-year average (-9 percent).