TRADE AND MARKET I NG Over the last few years China has established itself as a major international potato player becoming a significant importer of potato products and exporter of potatoes, says Cedric Porter of World Potato Markets. L China steps up its aim of being a potato powerhouse atest figures show that the import of frozen fries into China rose by 26.5% in the year to the end of August 2016 to 155,500 tonnes. At the beginning of 2010 the country only imported 40,000 tonnes of product a year, so the market has grown by 290% since the start of this decade. On top of this, investment in production by Chinese companies in partnership with international processors means that Chinese production of fries is now more than one million tonnes a year. USA is China’s biggest supplier All the main global suppliers of fries have benefitted from the increase in Chinese demand. The USA still dominates the market, accounting for 71% of trade in the last year with sales from the USA to China up 28% in the last 12 months. Canada lost out in the Chinese market last year, but has recovered since shipping in 20,320 tonnes in the last year, an increase of nearly 20%. Belgium leads the European pack of exporters, but its sales have not grown so fast as its North American counterparts. In the 12 months to the end of August, Belgium supplied 15,500 tonnes to China, an increase of 13.6%. The relatively weak increase in sales comes despite Belgium being the cheapest supplier of fries with its product around 18% cheaper than US fries. The Dutch continue to make good progress in the Chinese market with its sales to the world’s largest market up 26%, but only to 3,900 tonnes. China has also increased its imports of other potato products, although volumes still remain small. Imports of dehydrated products have more than doubled in the last two year to 1,620 tonnes. Imports of flakes and flour are around 500 tonnes a year. Growing Potato power China has made much of its national aim of doubling potato China fry imports, 12-month periods (tonnes) 20000 40000 60000 80000 100000 120000 140000 160000 180000 0 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 100 200 300 400 500 600 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 production to 200 million tonnes in the coming years as it continues to strive to feed its 1.3 billion people. The country has become very dependent on imported cereals and other crops and potatoes are seen as an ideal crop as they can grow using fewer resources in places where crops such as wheat and rice struggle. Although China’s ambition is bold, it cannot be dismissed. Fifty years ago the country was only growing 14 million tonnes of potatoes, now it tops 100 million tonnes, a 600% increase. With average yields still below 20 tonnes/hectare there is still a lot of potential for the Chinese potato sector and there is heavy state and private investment in potato breeding and agronomy. A sign of China’s growing potato power are exports of fresh potatoes. It is now a top ten global supplier in the fresh market. In 2000 the country shipped just 47,000 tonnes, but in 2016 that volume had soared to nearly 500,000 tonnes and in 2014 it nearly topped half a million tonnes. As well as becoming an important seasonal supplier to countries such as Russia (who have banned imports of EU fresh potatoes) China has built up strong regional sales with customers such as Malaysia and Vietnam. As the country has become more expert in exporting, the average price of its potatoes has also increased and in August it was at the equivalent of US$570/tonne. China is surrounded by countries with large and growing populations that do not have the resources to grow large potato crops, so as it increases its production of potatoes then there will be greater opportunities for the export of both fresh potatoes and products. Cedric Porter Managing Editor of World Potato Markets www.worldpotatomarkets.com Chinese ware exports in tonnes, US$ 000's and US$/tonne in year to end of August 100000 200000 300000 400000 500000 600000 0 Potato World 2016 • number 4 31 US$/tonne Tonnes and US$ '000s Pagina 30

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