The harvesting progress in England is lagging far behind. It is no longer a question of whether potatoes will remain in the ground in the country, but how many. What is the situation on the other side of the Channel?
The various figures regarding the progress of the harvest in England are somewhat contradictory. The most recent figures from Aviko Potato, for week 44, indicate that 80% of the potatoes have been harvested. However, local insiders contradict this. According to them, these figures are too positive and approximately 30% still needs to be cleared. This corresponds with the most recent figures from AHDB Potato. It states that as of October 22, 70% of the area in Great Britain had been cleared.
The North is far behind
However, after that it was always wet. It is expected that not much will have been cleared after this reference date. The entire coastal region, towards Scotland, is the furthest behind in grubbing. For example, in the northeast only 30% has been cleared, while in the northwest 46% has been cleared according to AHDB.
The harvest is also lagging behind in central England, with around 60% of the area cleared. Further to the southeast the harvest is more advanced. In Scotland, the harvest is three-quarters of the way through. Last year around this time, all the potatoes were already behind the shelves in Great Britain. AHDB writes about plots in the north, where the potatoes are flooded and have been written off.
How many potatoes written off?
The question is no longer whether potatoes will remain in the ground this year, but how many. The wet weather conditions also do not do the quality of the potatoes any good. AHDB speaks of an above-average amount of rot, especially in plots saturated by rain. There are also cautious concerns about the storage of the potatoes. A lot of soil is stored, which slows down the drying process.
Frost coming?
It has also been very wet in England in recent days. More rain is expected throughout the country in the coming week. This raises the expectation that the harvest will not go much faster for the time being. Moreover, it will be colder this week, with light frost here and there. It is not yet a disaster scenario (like in 2012), but it will be exciting. This is also reflected in the market: the potato price in England is climbing out of the valley. Tight supplies are expected at the end of the season.