The acreage of starch potatoes in Germany is once again showing a contraction. A smaller area is not only reserved for Germany. Across the EU, the industry is struggling to ensure sufficient raw material, says the Association of German Starch Potato Processors (BVS).
Making a reliable estimate for the 2023 starch potato harvest is still difficult, according to the BVS. Late start of spring, then a dry warm period followed by a wet summer. "Part of the area is still green and growers are hoping for a golden autumn in which starch potatoes in particular can still produce enough kilos for storage," says Hans-Wilhelm Giere. He is chairman of the BVS and made his comments in a message at the start of the starch campaign.
Cultivation is under pressure
It may not yet be possible to say much about the hectare yield, but because fewer potatoes have been planted, the BVS expects a tight raw material position. The area of starch potatoes in Germany has shrunk by 2.600 hectares to 55.930 hectares. That is the smallest area since 2017. In the entire EU, the cultivated area of starch potatoes has shrunk by 6% to 202.000 hectares. "For the third year in a row, fewer starch potatoes have been planted in both Germany and the EU," says Giere. Cultivation is under pressure due to a series of challenges that are gnawing at the economic return of cultivation. It concerns challenges in the field of climate and political preconditions with ambitious objectives, such as the Green Deal. and halving the use of crop protection products.