Slow demand in Chinese potato market

China’s domestic potato market remained weak but stable at the start of December, with the supply of potatoes from each production area deemed “sufficient”. While high-grade products were attracting high prices, average-grade potatoes were not moving so fluidly, and volume was falling. Nevertheless, growers are reported to be optimistic about the future market prospects.

Prices remained relatively low but stable, with traders cautious about purchasing due to the rigid demand. The current slow market is partly the result of the large spring and autumn crops, which saturated the market. Another issue is that specialised sellers dominate China’s potato market, meaning that the scope of action for other trades is significantly reduced. To complicate matters further, transportation costs are rising as the weather conditions worsen, which makes traders reluctant to purchase potatoes at any given price.

According to Chinapotato.org, the market in various production areas may remain weak and stable, with the price of medium-grade potatoes potentially dipping slightly.