The acreage for ware potatoes in the Netherlands has decreased by almost 5.000 hectares this year. But, in which places have farmers planted less this spring? An analysis of the Boer&Bunder data shows that the largest differences are noticeable in Zeeland and North Brabant.
CBS framed a ware potato area of 72.000 hectares at the end of June. That is 6,5% less than was the case a year earlier, or almost 5.000 hectares. Farmer&Bunder, Dacom's plot tool, comes with a comparable figure of 71.948 hectares for the 2021 harvest year. This is a decrease of 5.334 hectares compared to the previous year. Boer&Bunder uses the RVO data provided for the Combined Declaration.
Zeeland and Brabant
The province of North Brabant has the largest area per province with 17.640 hectares of ware potatoes. Zeeland is in 2nd place with 13.598 hectares. These provinces also account for the largest absolute decrease in area this year. In Zeeland, almost 1.300 hectares (-9%) fewer ware potatoes were planted. For Brabant this is 958 hectares (-5%). South Holland is in third place with a decrease of 3 hectares in area. In Flevoland the area has decreased by just over 516 hectares. Limburg is just below that. Drenthe is the only one to record an increase of 500 hectares (50%).
Within Zeeland, the municipality of Sluis accounts for the largest area. 1.953 hectares of ware potatoes are grown. The decrease here is 9% (193 hectares) this season. The municipality of Terneuzen comes in 2nd with an area of 1.495 hectares. Here, cultivation is decreasing by as much as 272 hectares (15%). Another major decliner is the municipality of Borsele with almost 150 hectares. Good for 12% less area.
Water and soil
Not a single municipality in Zeeland is growing an equal or greater area of ware potatoes this year. Only on the island of Tholen is cultivation stable. The decrease is only 30 hectares. Schouwen-Duiveland is also keeping the area shrinking to a minimum this season. These shifts have everything to do with the soil type and especially the possibilities of whether irrigation can take place or not.
It was a year earlier visible that potato growers started growing fewer potatoes on Brabant's clay soil. This trend is not noticeable this season. The 3 largest potato municipalities are Moerdijk, Steenbergen and Altena. The cultivation here has not or hardly decreased this season. In the municipality of Moerdijk (number 1.597 with 1 hectares), cultivation even increased by 2% in area. The municipality of Drimmelen has seen the potato area decline by almost 140 hectares. Other mutations are relatively minor.
Risers and shrinkers on sand
There are also risers on sandy soil. In the municipality of Deurne the area increases to 100 hectares (+20%). That is an exception. The area in the municipality of Mill en Sint Hubert decreased by 170 hectares. In general, this involves changes of several dozen hectares per municipality. The municipality of Geldrop-Mierlo is striking. Here the area has grown by no less than 614%. This year, 5 hectares of potatoes are recorded, compared to 0,7 hectares last year.
The municipality of South Holland shows a somewhat different picture. Potato cultivation is much more fragmented and focuses mainly on the islands of Goeree-Overflakkee (3.353 hectares) and the Hoeksche Waard (3.216 hectares). Shrinkage of the area in the province can be found in places where a lot of land is being withdrawn from housing, industry or nature.
Alternatives
It is difficult to say which crop is grown instead of potatoes because it depends on various factors. Significantly more winter wheat has been sown in Brabant municipalities on clay soil. At the same time, fewer summer grains have been sown, so it is impossible to say whether these hectares will be replaced by potatoes. On the sandy soils in Brabant, the area of maize fluctuates somewhat more and there is a decrease rather than an increase in the area. A significant growth in onion cultivation (28% or 740 hectares) has certainly taken over potato cultivation in some places.
In Zeeland it is clearly visible that significantly more winter wheat has been sown. In the municipality of Sluis almost 900 hectares more and in the municipality of Hulst almost 500 hectares more. Here too, the explanation may partly lie in more favorable conditions last autumn and a smaller share of spring wheat and barley. This cannot be said for all Zeeland-Flemish municipalities. For example, more spring wheat was sown in Sluis and the acreage is stabilizing elsewhere in this part of Zeeland. Onions are certainly not an alternative crop there.