French cattle farmer sees good in potatoes

By the name Normandy you might think of grassy meadows and D-Day beaches. That is the image of Basse-Normandie (Lower Normandy). Haute-Normandie (Upper Normandy) is an arable farming region par excellence. When it comes to potato cultivation, the area is less known than the northern Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy, but that is changing. The cultivation is particularly extensive in the Seine-Maritime department. After milk production has been put on hold, more and more (young) dairy farmers are opting for potatoes.

Dairy heavyweight
About 70% of the land area in Normandy is devoted to agriculture. Of this, 66% is arable land and 30% permanent grassland. The region has a herd of around 576.000 dairy cows and has its own breed of cow, which was recently surpassed in numbers by the Holsteiner. With 15% of the total French cheese production, the area is a dairy heavyweight.

The temperate climate is, in addition to grass, ideally suited for arable crops; traditionally wheat, rapeseed, sugar beets and peas, but now also increasingly potatoes. Logistically, Normandy's location is perfect. Rouen is the largest export port for European wheat and the seaport of Le Havre is also located in the area. The goods can be transported to Belgium, England, eastern or southern France; This happens a lot with potatoes.

Area increase
Normandy accounted for 2017% of French potato production in 10, according to figures from government agency Agreste. This means that the share is considerably less than Nord-Pas-de-Calais (37%) and Picardy (24%). The departments of Eure and Seine-Maritime account for 90% of all potatoes in Normandy.

The area has been on the rise since 2000 and grew from 15 hectares to more than 6.500 hectares in 10.000 years. Growth has been achieved, especially in recent years. The area has 1 potato processing factory. Lunor produces 30.000 tons of steamed potatoes annually. French fries and chips production takes place further north, where McCain has 2 large factories with more than 200.000 tons of production capacity.

French dairy processors work with one- or multi-year contracts for milk production, thus tempering unbridled growth. It is almost impossible to expand. Small dairy farms with a successor must look for alternatives to grow. In many cases this is arable farming. Since grain and sugar beets yield little, potato cultivation is attractive. Contracts for chip potatoes are offered from both Belgium and France. From Rouen it is less than a 1-hour drive to Kortrijk.

(Text continues below the image)The Normandy cow disappears from the landscape and is replaced by potatoes.

Wet autumn and winter
Dutchman Jan Moonen burps since 1995 in Héberville, Haute-Normandy, and specializes in the cultivation of seed potatoes. The company covers more than 450 hectares and at the beginning of May half of the potatoes were in the ground. "Between September 1 and May 1, 1.050 millimeters of rain fell here," Moonen says. "Extremely wet. We normally don't get that much rain in one year. It is special that planting is going so well. Further north, work is more advanced. I estimate that 1% has been planted there."

"We are about 10 to 14 days later than average," thinks the arable farmer. "Normally we finish around May 3. This year I hope on May 15. This is not such a disaster for seed potatoes. Ware potatoes are planted earlier and are more likely to be 3 weeks behind. That takes growing days. Due to the wet winter, the structure is not so good. All in all, I get a 7% lower yield, as a result of all the setbacks."

New growers
Moonen knows better than anyone how cultivation in the region is developing. "I estimate that 60 new growers have emerged in recent years. All of them are young entrepreneurs with a dairy farm. A company with 400.000 liters used to be viable. However, today (times €0,30 per kilo) you end up with €120.000 per year. You cannot make ends meet with that and you cannot expand. These companies have invested in mechanization and storage sheds. Anyone who wants to build a new shed will be put on a waiting list. Scaling up is happening very quickly: 150 hectares is average, but the specialized Arable farmers are more likely to have 200 hectares."

It is not only production rights for milk that are difficult to acquire. This also applies to land. The purchase and sale of land is done through the government's land bank. Most land is traded by transferring it between private limited companies. "It is a sensitive point," said Moonen. "Prices in Normandy are around €15.000 per hectare. Towards Paris, that doubles. However, there must be two of you. I mean to say: you must be granted it. Moreover, the loan must be repaid within 15 years This applies to land but also to buildings. The situation is nothing like the Netherlands."

(Text continues below the image)The climate and soil are very suitable for potatoes. There are many stones.

Stones
In addition to the logistical advantage and ample availability of land, the area also has shortages for potato cultivation. The soil is good, but full of stones. "Around 90% of potato growers clear their plots," says the Dutchman. "We are one of the last to work quite traditionally. We de-stone on 50 hectares, but not on the rest. Plots of maize are now being replaced by potatoes." Moonen expects that trend to continue. "Once you are in the race, you have to keep innovating to keep up."

The cultivation has more challenges, as the Chambres d'agriculture de Normandie also describes. Due to climate change, the coastal region is experiencing erratic weather. Consumers are increasingly asking for organic potatoes. However, the disease pressure is high in Normandy; Phytophthora in particular can be a problem.