In the Netherlands in recent weeks (due to heavy rain showers) damage has occurred in the potato fields in various places. Insurers indicate that the damage is very local. Also further in Europe there are heavy showers, but also drought. How is the spring going so far for potato growth?
In the Netherlands, some farmers in Drenthe are already planting for the third time, says Jan Schreuder, director of Vereinigte Hagel. The company has received about 350 damage reports. They come from almost all over the Netherlands. Marien Boersma, director of Agriver, indicates that the southwestern region and the northeast are particularly affected. He notes that the damage is very local and that it often does not involve large areas.
Good growth
The growth of potatoes in the Netherlands is going extremely fast. The backlog incurred during planting is therefore gradually being made up again. The differences between the growth of the crops are becoming increasingly divergent. The first plots in Flevoland are already closed, while in other places still milled is becoming.
It is difficult to get a complete picture of the damage caused by excessive precipitation. After the first heavy rain showers, it was estimated that around 500 hectares in the southwest had to be replanted. Insiders are now talking about 1.000 hectares that are experiencing serious inconvenience from the precipitation. This usually concerns headlands and low spots in plots where damage can be found and the pots are rotten.
Poor crop condition
In Germany it is very dry in the north, while in the south (Baden-Württemberg) the rain was inconvenient in some places (just like in the Netherlands). In Lower Saxony, farmers expect lower yields due to the dry weather, heat and strong winds. Until 6 weeks ago they still had too much rain in the area. That is a disastrous combination, because the plants are not deeply rooted at the beginning of the season and now have to be able to withstand extreme drought.
Rain in Belgium
In general, it can be said that the rain in Belgium has been welcome recently and that it has done well for the crops. The thunderstorms of the past week caused local damage; especially in West Flanders (along the coast). The damage to the potatoes is extra serious there, because the potatoes were just emerging. Planting took place very late here.
In Wallonia, the potatoes are reportedly doing well. Planting went smoothly here. Only the big companies have been working late. The rain has been very welcome, but local in nature. The extreme showers that hit South Limburg and Germany seem to have spared Belgium.
English harvest
There were also thunderstorms in England last weekend. Its impact was very local. In general, rain was welcome, because it is starting to become dry. Drought is also reported in Scotland. The planting of the potatoes is still not 100% ready in England. The season ended late and also started late. The harvest of early potatoes has now started in the southwest and east. Due to an extremely sunny month of May, with regular rainfall, the crops are ready for harvest early.
(Text continues below the tweet)
France
In France, a lot of rain is expected again in the second half of this week. These could fall in Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy, but also other areas last week affected. The amount of precipitation that usually fell in 1 month now fell in 3 hours. It is unclear how extensive the damage is to potato crops.
Early Polish harvest
In Poland, especially in the south-west and central areas, it prevailed extreme heat and drought in April and May. In the north it is dry, but not problematic. Nevertheless, the potatoes grow very fast. Although the potatoes were planted late, they are expected to be harvested much earlier. The harvest of early potatoes started 2 weeks earlier. If the drought continues, the entire harvest will move forward.
Conclusion
It is difficult to give a good picture of the exact damage in the EU-5 and Poland at this time. The month of May was record warm, which made crop development explosive. The rain caused crop damage in parts of the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and France. However, this usually concerns parts of 1 plot and not complete crops.
The drought is a concern for many European potato growers. This is the case in Northern and Southern Germany, but also in Poland. Due to the rapid development, the potatoes now require a drink of water. The showers often have a local character and too much falls quickly in a short time. The 2017/2018 season, which was seriously dry until the beginning of July, is still fresh in the memory of every grower. Statements about the consequences are therefore treated with great caution.