Extremely low German potato harvest confirmed

The final harvest figure for 2017 is stated by the ministerial statistics service destiny at 11,7 million tons. The 2018 harvest is estimated at around 8,7 million tons. It is a decrease of 3 million tons (-25%). It should also be noted that the 2017 harvest year was well above the multi-year average.

Not this bad before
However, compared to the 2016 harvest year (10,8 million tons) and 2015 (10,4 million tons), the current harvest is recorded as very disappointing. If we go back even further in time (2001), the harvest figures show that never before have so few potatoes been harvested. In the 2013 harvest year, part of the German harvest was lost due to heavy rainfall in the southern states (particularly in Bavaria).

In the 2013 harvest year, the final potato harvest amounted to 9,7 million tons. The year 2018 will still be 1 million tons below that. Moreover, the area in 2013 was approximately 7.200 hectares smaller.

This summer's dry and warm weather has had a major impact on the growing areas in the north of Germany, where (comparatively) most potatoes grow. The total area in Germany this year amounts to 250.200 hectares, of which 45% is grown in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

In addition, most potato processors are located in the north of the country. Trial harvest figures amount to 35 tons per hectare. That is a decrease of 25%, which has not happened since 2003. Only in the south of Germany are yields sometimes at an average level.

Dry harvesting conditions
Potato yields are the lowest in the east of Germany, but sufficient rain has fallen here to enable harvesting. In many other places in Germany it is too dry to harvest (without damage), the ministry notes.

In addition, this season will also be quite a challenge for German potato processors, as they have to deal with a limited volume of raw materials. However, this applies to customers within the EU-5 and Poland.