The planting of the last ware potatoes in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe is in the final phase. In most cases, the work is ahead of last season, when plenty of potatoes were planted in May as well. There is still some work to be done in Wallonia and Northern France.
The changeable weather comes at just the right time for arable farmers on clay soil. In many cases they have started building the back, which goes much better after a little rain. However, precipitation is disappointing in many places. The month of April is therefore recorded as dry to very dry in many areas.
North not ready
Only in the Northern Netherlands quite a bit still needs to be planted. At the start of week 18, according to Numbers from Aviko Potato 75% in the ground. In all other areas, 90% or more have been planted. The Southwest has almost completed the work.
Wallonia and Northern France (Pas-de-Calais) have theirs backlog significantly overtaken in week 16. Progress in the south of Belgium went from 35% to 80%, which once again shows how gigantic the planting capacity is. Where necessary, we work around the clock. In Flanders and Picardy, approximately 90% is in the ground. Also in the United Kingdom, about 15% still needs to be planted.
Differences from last year
The difference with previous seasons varies per country. Work is progressing in the United Kingdom. Potato growers there suffered a lot of problems from the winter weather last fall. Such a difference is also noticeable in Flanders. In Germany, work is slightly behind, just like in France.
Growing weather is not on the cards for the time being, because cool and changeable weather is expected until mid-May. This does not result in really large amounts of precipitation, but there may be a winter shower in the first weekend of May. After a warm start, it remains colder than normal for this time of year.
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