Never before have so few potatoes been harvested in Spain as this season. This is due to a combination of a small area and disappointing yields after an extremely dry season. The late potato varieties in particular have failed.
The Spanish Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación (MAPA) has published figures for potato yields for 2022. Never before have fewer than 2 million tons of potatoes been harvested in the country. The final yield is estimated at 1,95 million tons. That is 10% less compared to last year.
An area of 65.700 hectares is not the smallest ever. In the past two years, potato cultivation has also fluctuated around 65.000 hectares, while it was still more than 70.000 hectares more than five years ago.
Late harvest is disappointing
The hectare yields of the early potatoes were still above the level of last season, but after that it only went downhill. The low point is the late potato harvest, where the hectare yield has decreased by almost a fifth. The majority of these potatoes are grown in the northern Spanish autonomous region of Castile and León. It was extremely dry and warm there. The total yield is 10% lower this year. According to figures from the ministry, the late potato varieties amount to 633.000 tons. That is 12,5% less than was harvested last year.
While temperatures in the Netherlands reached 20 degrees last week, it was still a lot warmer in Spain. It was 34 degrees locally and that is a record. According to the National Meteorological Institute, 2022 will be recorded as the third driest year on record. It is not only the potato yield that is lower. The grain harvest is estimated to be 20% smaller by trade organization ACCOE. Other crops are also suffering from the drought.
MAPA will make €563 million available in the short term for agricultural companies to invest in modernizing the irrigation infrastructure. Between 2022 and 2027, the government will release more than €2 billion for irrigation. Three quarters of potato crops can already be irrigated. This mainly concerns the water supply for other crops. Certain crops are already no longer possible – depending on the region – because there is not enough water. Vegetable crops are particularly affected.
Price levels significantly higher
The only figures that show a significant plus are the average Spanish potato prices. Until October, the price level was almost 60% above last year. The MAPA uses an average price of €37 per 100 kilos. In Castile and León, prices for table potatoes are sometimes even higher. The agricultural market La Lonja de León used last week price between €31 and €45. Despite the high cultivation costs, this makes potato cultivation attractive for the coming season.