The potato area in southern Europe is expected to be smaller than previously expected, insiders report. Due to an abundant harvest in Northern Europe and the expectations that the demand from French fries factories will be less due to the corona crisis, many Southern European growers seem to be choosing eggs for their money and are switching to other crops.
In the south of Spain, up to 80% of the acreage has now been planted. And it is clear to insiders that the acreage will be smaller than previously expected, although there are no official estimates yet. According to insiders, many growers have decided to plant fewer potatoes because of the large harvest in Northern Europe. As a result, prices in these countries fell to considerable depths last year. Prices are clearly higher in Southern Europe, although a drop of almost 2% has also been visible here recently (to a price of approximately €16 per 100 kilos). It is also expected that tourism will not fully recover this season, which continues to hamper sales.
Although there are no official figures yet, the Ministry of Agriculture in Spain has released new figures about last year's harvest. The potato harvest is expected to reach 2,143 million tons (on 67.296 hectares). This results in a hectare yield of 31,8 tons, which is 6% less than in 2019. The harvest of late potatoes is 18% lower than last year, at 674.465 tons. In Castilla y Léon, Spain's largest potato-producing region, production is 11% lower at 830.572 tons.
Less seed potatoes in Portugal
Fewer potatoes are also expected in Portugal. According to insiders, many growers in particular give up the cultivation of seed potatoes. This is because the demand from the French fries industry is expected to be 10% to 15% lower, mainly as a result of the corona crisis. Many potato growers choose eggs for their money and switch to the table potatoes or winter onions. This trend is not entirely new, however. In recent seasons, about 30% of the potato area in the south of Lisbon has been exchanged for winter onions, mainly due to the strong European demand.
In addition, planting the potatoes is made more difficult by the wet weather in December. According to insiders, only small pieces of sandy soil will go into the ground. For example, little has happened in Northern Lisbon, where early potatoes are usually planted from December. All in all, therefore, a slight decrease in the acreage is expected here too, according to insiders.