15.000 hectares of potatoes still to be harvested

A lot of work has been done in a week. Arable farmers and contractors have worked long hours to harvest as many potatoes as possible before a more changeable type of weather sets in. For the time being it is not too bad with the precipitation, but drying does not do much anymore. On the clay, the harvesting speed is usually limited to between 1 and 2,5 km/h. That means looking at infinity and big seven.

Southwest over half
Aviko Potato has significantly improved the chart for week 43 (standing until Friday) compared to the week before. Harvesting was also done in the last 3 days of the week, which means that the total position is slightly higher. We will not experience a situation like in 2019. The south-west has also caught up – compared to last season.

Aviko now sets the progress at 55%. Insiders of Boerenbusiness disagree. We still have 30% to harvest, although there are clear differences per area. On the South Holland islands there is talk of 10-15% still to be harvested. In West Brabant 30% and in Zeeland between 20% and more than 30%. It is striking that a relatively large number of potatoes still have to be harvested in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. The northern islands are significantly further. For a long time it was too dry in Zeeland to harvest. Subsequently, the coastal province was treated to more than 100 millimeters of precipitation, which meant that growers had to wait again. That backlog is now very noticeable.

Nationwide 80% from the ground
If we look at the acreage figures of Boer&Bunder, we see that the south-west accounts for a total of 35.231 hectares of potatoes, of which almost 29.000 hectares are ware potatoes. That is 40% of the national total. The majority of this acreage is intended for storage and a smaller part for ex-country delivery. If we set the main harvest for storage at 20.000, this means that about 6.000 hectares still have to be harvested. Nationally, 80% has been harvested. This means that 15.300 hectares are still in the ground. Last year that was 47.400 hectares in the same week. The potato cultivation is therefore noticeably better in the last week of October.

In Gelderland and Eastern Flevoland, according to Aviko, 90% of the harvest is now behind us. Southern Flevoland and Noord-Holland are also almost at that point. According to Aviko, 35% still needs to be harvested in the northeast, but given the soil type, this is not a problem. Harvesting there in November is the rule rather than the exception. Insiders sign up Boerenbusiness that they rather estimate the remaining area at 20% to 25%. A lot of water fell in South Limburg at the end of last week. Insiders think that 40% still needs to be harvested there.

Belgian backlog
France and Belgium are now on the same page in the Aviko chart, with 40% of the acreage still to be harvested. For our southern neighbors this means 33.000 hectares are still in the ground, where it was 30.000 hectares a year earlier. The Belgians and growers in Northern France are facing the same problems as their Zeeland colleagues. For a long time it was too dry. When the crops were ready, a lot of precipitation fell, so that the harvest started late.

Germany and Poland have almost completed their potato harvest. Growers are bringing in the last hectares. In Poland, this does not go smoothly everywhere, because local precipitation has fallen. The UK got off to a good start but is now stuck at the last 25%. Precipitation has also regularly fallen there, which complicates the harvesting work.

November starts dry
Less stable weather is expected for this week with regular showers of rain. Especially on Wednesday and Thursday, rain will be released in the center and south of the country. The northeast gets slightly less water. The first week of November is now coming up with moderate autumn weather with no precipitation. If the rain is not too bad this week, the potato harvest can probably be completed in early November. In contrast to last year, the temperatures are relatively high at night, which means that you can start on time in the morning.