If consumption potatoes are not included in the list of 'winter crops' in the 7th Nitrate Directive Action Programme, it will cost the Dutch potato sector at least €1,5 billion. This is calculated by the Association for the Potato Processing Industry (Vavi). The survival of the sector is at stake, says Andries Middag, director of the trade association.
In the proposed crop list For the 7th Action Programme, the consumption potato does not appear in the list of winter crops, which is the case for starch potatoes, for example. The list is not yet final, but Vavi is not yet confident that an exception will be made for consumption potato cultivation. More information from the ministry about the final list is expected to be released within a few weeks. Vavi is also working on its own research into consumer potato cultivation in relation to nitrogen and water quality.
Harvest deadline
A harvest deadline before October 1 is disastrous for ware potatoes, especially on lighter soils. In a reaction Vavi writes that 85% of the area still needs to be harvested. October is the harvesting month, after which another 15% will be harvested in November. Because growing seasons last longer, the harvest time shifts, the association concludes. This also means that at the beginning of September most crops are still vital and green. They also absorb nitrogen from the soil. An early harvest time means that nitrogen remains in the soil, which can be detrimental to water quality.
According to Vavi members' own figures, at least 20 kilos of nitrogen per hectare remain in the soil when harvesting takes place in September. Even if a catch crop is sown in October, this crop can absorb nitrogen from the soil, according to Vavi. The Fertilizer Experts Committee (CDM) – compiler of the crop list – bases its assessment on thirty-year-old research. A lot has changed in that time. Not only has the potato harvest time been pushed back, more is also possible in terms of catch crops.
€1,5 billion
Vavi calls the harvest deadline impractical for the sector. Capacity for harvesting, storage and processing is currently lacking in the sector. This means a one-off investment of €1,5 billion. Given the current price increases, that amount is increasing rapidly. This investment is not profitable for the sector parties and is therefore impracticable.
Since 2016, Vavi members have been jointly investing in sustainable potato cultivation, testing new varieties and cultivation methods. A follow-up to this project (Holland Innovative Potato) will start in 2023.