After last year’s storm “Hans”, there is an extra large need for imports of potatoes. Although the need for imports is greater than in many years, Coop states that it will not buy new potatoes from Israel this year. At the vegetable giant Bama, stocks of new potatoes are about to run out, and two months earlier than normal. Normally, most of the new potatoes would have been imported from Israel. For many years, Israel has been the most important importing country for new potatoes to Norway. Last year, 88 percent of all new potatoes imported were from Israel. It shows figures news has obtained from the Directorate of Agriculture FROM ISRAEL: Here are new Israeli potatoes at Coop in 2022. Israel has been an important country to source potatoes from for the grocery chains. Photo: news It is the first time in many years that Coop has dropped potatoes from Israel. The grocery chain will not be interviewed about the matter, but communications director Harald Kristiansen writes in an e-mail: – We have secured agreements for both storage potatoes and new potatoes from Finland, France, Spain, Italy and Cyprus. At the same time, Kristiansen emphasizes that the decision to drop Israel is solely about commercial considerations. – Production in Israel may be affected, roads and ports may be closed. For us, it has therefore been important to find suppliers where we are confident that we will receive the goods we have ordered and that they will arrive, writes Kristiansen. Bama does not stop imports In the stores of Norgesgruppen and Rema there will still be Israeli potatoes to be found, the grocery giants confirm to news. – We have not considered a boycott, writes Kine Søyland, communications manager at Norgesgruppen to news. All the vegetables at Norgesgruppen are bought from Bama. Norgesgruppen and Rema own Bama. And it is Bama that accounts for the majority of imports of fruit and vegetables into the country. – We will receive the first new potatoes from Israel at the end of March, explains Pia Gulbrandsen, communications director at Bama. LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVES: Bama expects that some consumers will opt out of potatoes from Israel. Photo: Bama / Photographer Knut Aaserud At the same time, Gulbrandsen emphasizes to news that Bama shares people’s frustration over the suffering in Gaza. – Bama does not buy goods from occupied areas, says Gulbrandsen. Because Bama expects lower demand for goods from Israel, they are also looking for other countries to import new potatoes from. The plan is to cut part of the imports from Israel. – We assume that many consumers will opt out of potatoes from Israel, therefore we are considering buying new potatoes from countries such as Cyprus, Spain, Finland, England, France, Jordan and Greece, but the solitaire is not finished yet, says Gulbrandsen. Shortfall of 9,000 tonnes Bama’s warehouses show a shortfall of Norwegian new potatoes of 9,000 tonnes. And when Israeli imports are to decrease, it is extra demanding to find enough imported potatoes for the Norwegian customers. news has collected figures from 2017 and every year it is new potatoes from Israel that are at the top of imports. On average, 77 percent of all imported new potatoes in the years 2017–2023 came from Israel. Last year, Bama brought in 3,200 new potatoes from Israel, while Coop brought in 2,000 tonnes. In several European countries, the 2023 potato harvest was the worst for many years. While parts of Norway received rain during “Hans”, drought and other storms contributed to the loss of large crops in a number of countries. – Will the large shortage of potatoes affect prices for the Norwegian consumer? – I currently have no information about prices, says Pia Gulbrandsen in Bama. THE POTATOES DROWNED: Storm Hans in 2023 was the first to cause poor yields, among other things for potato farmer Henrik Basberg. Photo: Caroline Bækkelund Hauge / news
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Coop drops potatoes from Israel – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
