Throughout the North-western European Potato Growers (NEPG) zone, hectares under cultivation will increase in 2024. While official figures are not available, it is expected that the increase could be up by four to six percent. The planting period lasted between eight and 10 weeks this spring, with the last dispersal of seed taking place last week. Current yields vary between full flowering and the end of tuberization (with tubers as big as goose eggs) to just planted.
Emergence problems are very common, with between a few percent to more than 80% not sprouting due mainly to rotting tubers – especially in Belgium and the Netherlands. The use of cut seed, delays in sowing, difficult drilling conditions and lots of rainfall has rendered the whole planting and emergence season very complicated. Written off fields due to heavy rainfall and flooding are common, mostly in the Benelux and parts of Germany (Bavaria).
While seed production is on the rise in France, production areas in the Netherlands are stable. Hundreds of hectares of seed potatoes have been heavily damaged due to flooding and even written off in different parts of Holland. There is no clear indication yet on how tuberization and tuber counts are and will be.
Processing Demand and Sales of Processed Products
Processing demand throughout the NEPG zone and higher processing capacity – mainly in France, secondarily in the other countries – is on the uptick. But sales of frozen fries and other processed products have been stabilizing or going down lately. There is more competition in the market, not only with North American producers, but increasingly with suppliers in China, India, Turkey and Argentina. Growers in Europe must take these developments into account when planning future expansion or investments.
Current and Future Risks and Uncertainties
Risks potato farmers are taking have never been so high, according to an NEPG statement. The combination of expanding problems linked to changes in weather patterns, this season’s high blight pressure combined with resistance of some new Phytophthora strains, less fungicide availability and the current use of chipping and crisping varieties which are susceptible to blight and need a lot of spraying, is rendering potato cultivation ever more risky. Growers have to produce what they reasonably and sustainably can, taking into account increasing disruptive weather patterns and water availability.
