Dark days ahead for potato lovers

According to Central Statistical Office (GUS) estimates, there will be a shortage of about 9 million tons of potatoes. Also, firms whose products use potatoes are complaining that the quality of potatoes has fallen due to last year's bad weather. The harvest in 2006 was 20% less than expected. Jurgen Dissel, the managing director of Aviko (one of the world's largest potato processors) in Central and Eastern Europe, says that his company makes deals with suppliers every year but last year not all of them were able to fulfill their obligations. Thus his company had to buy potatoes on the agricultural markets, where prices are much higher. Adam Basalaj, the president of Frosta, a frozen-foods producer, claims to have heard from his suppliers that the problems acquiring potatoes may start around April. The situation is serious because bad crops were common throughout Europe last year and, of course, will result in higher prices this year. (Puls Biznesu p.11) M.M.