France: The French Inter-Profession of Starch Potatoes (GIPT) demands for aid of €500/ha for starch potatoes

The French Inter-Profession of Starch Potatoes (GIPT) demands aid of €500/ha of starch potatoes, which would mean a budget of 8 to 9 million euros per year for 2023 and 2024. They recall that this type of aid had been granted to the sector in 2014 when it was going through a situation similar to the one it is now. The sector is affected by a drop in starch prices due to the Covid crisis, low yields due to unfavorable weather, increased production costs linked to the war in Ukraine, competition with more profitable crops such as cereals... Consequently, the current situation makes the production of starch potatoes less attractive and more risky, despite the contract price increases announced by the two factories that continue to operate in France, Tereos and Roquette frères. The planting figures attest ...