Potato growers in Germany have considerably fewer potatoes in stock compared to the previous two years. The difference with 2020 is more than 400.000 tons. The smaller stock is mainly due to a smaller acreage. The yield has improved considerably.
Destatis, the German statistical service, estimates the potato stock in the country at 3,55 million tons on reference date January 1. That is more than 400.000 tons less than after the 2020 harvest. This makes it the smallest stock since 2018. At that time, growers had 2,7 million tons in stock.
More fries potatoes
In North Rhine-Westphalia, arable farmers have more potatoes in stock. This amounts to 270.000 tons compared to a year earlier. This while there are fewer potatoes in stock in all other states. The reason for this lies in the increasing acreage of chip potatoes. This is at the expense of table potatoes, which generally yield more and have more losses.
Most potatoes are stored in Lower Saxony (1,7 million tons). That was half a million tons more a year earlier. In Bavaria, only 1 tons were left in stock on January 400.000.
Looking at the trend over the last eight years, supplies are quite tight this season. Only in 2018 and 2015 was it so disappointing. Yet the market apparently does not react much to it. The market for French fries potatoes, among other things, is also good in Germany. This is especially beneficial for growers in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony who can benefit from this. The decrease in inventory has been fairly average over the past six months.
More potatoes, fewer hectares
Destatis has also adjusted the figures for the potato harvest in the country. The final German potato harvest amounts to 11,3 million tons. An increase of 700.000 tons compared to a year earlier. The final area figure has been reduced by another 1.000 hectares to 258.300 hectares by the statistics service. This means that 2021 fewer hectares of potatoes will be grown in the country in 16.000. In particular, fewer table potatoes were grown last year. In North Rhine-Westphalia the area increased precisely because the focus is shifting to chip potatoes.
The German statistical service previously reported a provisional yield figure of 41 tons per hectare. A decrease of more than 4% compared to 2020. This figure has now been increased to 43,8 tons per hectare. That is 2,5% more than in 2020. The reason for the significant increase is that Destatis mentions that many trial harvest figures were not yet known when the provisional figures were compiled. The late varieties in particular (and also starch potatoes) showed strong regrowth.