The harvest of early potatoes in France is already coming to an end in the first regions, while the harvest has just started in the more northern areas. The yields don't seem to be easy, but there are big differences. What the growers in almost all of France have in common is rain, which delays the harvest.
The yields of early potatoes have so far been lower on average compared to previous years, but there are significant differences between and within the regions. The late frost period and the dry, cold spring did not do the potatoes any good, French media report. The quality of the potatoes is generally good.
Hurry
In regions such as Normandy, Brittany and Marmande, harvesting is delayed due to rain and showers. However, several growers want to quickly clear their plots for subsequent cultivation. When the weather clears up for a while, they prefer to lose the last kilos. And start harvesting, provided the potatoes are somewhat firm to their skin. With the reasonable to good prices at the moment of a maximum of €50 per 100 kilos in a slightly declining market, that choice is quickly made for many growers.
The wet weather also causes high phytophthora pressure in France. This is a problem in particular for late and storage potatoes. Growers are keen to keep the risk of infection as low as possible.