Inside Potatoes
Potato harvest is well underway
After most parts of our country have been generously endowed in terms of precipitation, gas can be given when the main crop of potatoes is harvested. The conditions for harvesting are almost ideal. The harvest is calmer in Belgium and France.
Would you like to continue reading this article?
Become a subscriber and get instant access
Choose the subscription that suits youAviko Potato estimates that a quarter of Dutch potatoes had been received before last weekend. This means that the harvest is slightly behind compared to 2020. Looking at the multi-year average, fewer potatoes have also been harvested. Especially because this season is simply later and because growers were forced to wait for rain.
Progress steadily
In Flevoland, arable farmers started grubbing everywhere last week. Very productive days could not be made due to the persistent fog, but progress has still increased to 30% to 40%. The harvest is less advanced in the southwest and north. Precipitation fell locally and in places in the southwest we were forced to wait until it was sufficiently dry. It still remains very dry in Limburg. That province escaped most of the precipitation.
Europe-wide, Germany and the UK are still well ahead. Both countries have received half of their potatoes if we can believe the Aviko figures. A lot of work still needs to be done, especially in Belgium, but France has also received less than a fifth of the potatoes. Potato growers there have been forced to wait for rain because it was too dry before. Here too, the weather is now better so that the harvesting can start.
Lots of precipitation locally
About the same applies to Belgium. Here too it was too dry to harvest for a long time and suddenly too wet at the beginning of October. Locally, 75 to 100 millimeters have fallen in the center and west of the country. This put a temporary halt to harvesting work. Growers' organization Fiwap reports that 20% has now been cleared, while Aviko mentions a figure of less than 10%.
Given the weather forecast for the next fourteen days, European potato growers can get the lion's share of their harvest behind the shelves without much stress. While the harvesting conditions are ideal with sufficient moisture. Quality remains a concern and those who start drying out also have to swallow something when ordering diesel or gas. Their prices have increased significantly. The gas price has tripled. Those who can dry with their own energy have a clear advantage.