| 13 September 2007 | Sky-high world market grain prices have strong influence on potato
starch prices. The summer 2007 was one of the wettest ever in Denmark and for a while the farmers were seriously concerned that the potato crop would fail. Excellent farming skills and weather improvements in early August changed the picture and the situation today is expectations of a normal crop. The situation seems much the same in most of Europe. Though the heavy rains are over other dark clouds still linger. Very low grain harvests and an increasing interest in crops for bio-ethanol has sent world market grain prices sky-high. Starch potato farmers in the EU are consequently putting heavy pressure on the starch factories to obtain higher prices for their potatoes. "If you cannot compete with grain you will not get your potatoes next year" is the message from the potato farmers to the starch industry. The very low carry-over stocks and the pressure for higher prices from the farmers all add up to serious increases in the starch prices. |
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