While a large part of the Netherlands is gripped by skating fever after a few days of moderate frost, many potato growers have other things on their minds. Several thousand hectares of consumption, starch and seed potatoes were still in the ground before the current frost period. Most of this area can be considered lost.
The minimum temperatures in De Bilt dropped to -10 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, January 7. There was also moderate frost the day before. This is slightly less in coastal areas, but this does not mean that crops are not affected by it. The majority of the potato harvest still in the ground can be considered lost, according to growers and insiders.
frost damage
In the southwest, arable farmers took advantage of the frost not only to plow, but also to open up the potato plots. "Even at the bottom of the back, the potatoes were frozen and glassy," said a Zeeland grower. He chose to loosen the plot with the subsoiler and then hopefully dig and sow wheat.
The Vavi (Association for the Potato Processing Industry) estimates that about two percent of the national potato area was still in the ground last weekend. The newspaper AD reports this through Vavi director Andries Middag. You're talking about more than 3.000 hectares. The sector also mentions percentages around five percent. According to Middag, recent felling has also taken place, resulting in hectares being cut off this total.
Damage in all segments
There are still plenty of potatoes in the ground, especially in the south-west of our country. In Zeeland, West Brabant and the South Holland Islands. A small portion of consumption potatoes still have to be harvested in Flevoland as well. There is also a small area of seed potatoes in the ground in Friesland, Groningen and North Holland, among others. Starch potato growers in the east and northeast have been able to harvest the majority under particularly poor conditions, but hectares are also being lost there.
Belgium and Northern France are currently experiencing similar weather and moderate frost, which means that the remainder of the potato harvest has most likely been lost there as well. Heavy rainfall and flooding had already destroyed most plots there.
Damage in the barrels
The impact on the European manufacturing industry remains limited, but it is detrimental. It is clear that every potato is needed this season. Losing several thousand hectares to frost - on top of the many quality problems due to the wet weather - is not good news for the factories. Affected growers have to swallow a significant loss of €10.000 to €12.000 per hectare. The total damage for individual growers quickly amounts to one tonne or even three tonne. A small consolation is that the costs of clearing, storing and storing do not have to be paid and that the land has not been destroyed, although the starting point for next spring is far from ideal.
A small number of growers with potatoes in the ground hope to be able to harvest this spring, as has often happened in the past. Whether that is possible, the weather will ultimately tell. Even if it is possible to save a small volume, the question is what the quality of these potatoes is. The last time potatoes were lost to frost on such a large scale was probably 1998.