The Belgian potato harvest this season is smaller than in 2020. Due to a relatively high yield per hectare, however, the total quantity is less than what you would assume based on the acreage figures.
The potato area in Belgium has shrunk by 7,8% compared to a year earlier, to just under 90.000 hectares. The yield per hectare, on the other hand, has grown considerably by 6,5% to 43 tons per hectare. The Belgian statistical office Statbel estimates the potato yield at 3.858.759 tons. This includes early potatoes and seed potatoes. The Belgian harvest is therefore approximately 2% lower than the 2020 harvest.
Silage maize positive outlier
The total sugar beet yield is virtually the same as last year. The shrinkage in the area has been compensated for by a higher yield per hectare. The hectare yield of winter wheat fell by 12,5% to 8 tons per hectare. But due to the larger area (+6,2%), the total production decline of 7,1% was limited. Silage maize is the most striking outlier in a positive sense. The total yield increased by 14% almost entirely due to a higher yield per hectare.