Will the German acreage explosion have an effect?

The biggest plus comes from the largest potato state: Lower Saxony. According to the state statistics office, the area cultivated with potatoes amounts to 123.500 hectares. An increase of 9.600 hectares compared to last year. This state is an important cradle for French fries, starch and seed potatoes. Overall, Destatis now estimates growth at 9,5%. During the first estimate it was 3% growth.

Potato states continue to grow
Due to a growth of almost 10%, good for 24.000 hectares, the German area has increased to more than 276.000 hectares, which is the largest area since 2005. Bavaria is in 2nd place with 41.600 hectares. Interestingly, North Rhine-Westphalia follows closely behind, also with 41.000 hectares. In this state, cultivation has grown by almost 8.000 hectares, which is significant. It's almost entirely about French fries.

It will be very dry for longer, especially along the border with the Netherlands. This is also clearly noticeable in the northeast, Twente and De Achterhoek. In recent months, that region has consistently escaped most of the precipitation. This drought area extends to northeastern Germany and the southeast. Considering the fact that 2018 was already unprecedentedly dry, the situation can be called exceptional.

Does more acreage mean more potatoes?
The drought resulted in a potato harvest of 8,7 million tons last year. The lowest in almost 30 years. Given the current situation, the 2019 season promises little improvement, despite the area explosion. Only in the far south is the situation slightly better. In Bavaria it charged more.

The extreme heat in July dealt a major blow to crops. Although 15 to 25 millimeters of precipitation is forecast in North Rhine-Westphalia, this does not bring a major improvement. BOGK, the trade association, expects that consumers will also experience the consequences of this, with rising prices for fries and chips in the offing.

Hesitant market and price
In Lower Saxony, some crops are still green. It remains to be seen what the proceeds will be. Harvesting is taking place at a slow pace, partly because arable farmers have been busy harvesting grain. Due to the high demand this season, the harvesting work is about 2 weeks ahead of other years.

The potato growers are already starting to look forward to the main harvest and the digging for storage, and to determine a price for this. It is currently under pressure. In the Rhineland, harvesting is carried out at full speed for processing. The demand for free potatoes is low.