Switzerland increases the import quota for potatoes

Due to the closure of the HoReCA sector due to the health crisis, the Swiss have more cooked at their homes which has led to a rapid decline in national potato stocks.

 

 

 

In Switzerland, restaurants have been closed since mid-December due to the health crisis. Consumers seem to have chosen to put potatoes on their menu and the quantities of Swiss potatoes available are no longer sufficient. OFAG, the Federal Office of Agriculture has just increased the import quota.

 

 

 

Temporarily, for the period from May 15 to June 30, an additional 5,000 tonnes of table potatoes can be imported. This corresponds to around 5% of the total annual volume, according to Florie Marion, spokesperson for the OFAG

 

 

 

There is nothing unusual about increasing quotas in Switzerland if the demand for an agricultural product exceeds the supply. In 2017, the Swiss potato harvest fell by 35% due to frost damage and led to an increase in import volumes.

 

 

 

source: bauernzeitung.ch, schweizerbauer.ch