Planting season in EU-4 is hopelessly behind schedule

Potato planting is going in fits and starts this season, even though June is almost here. The days when planting could be done are few; In fact, there has hardly been a really good week in which growers and contractors have been able to accelerate. That was in the second week of May when a lot of work was done. In the period that followed, potatoes also went into the ground little by little, but sometimes more still needs to go into the ground. 

Very large regional differences
It is difficult to estimate how many potatoes still need to be planted in total. This is mainly due to the large regional differences, but it is estimated that approximately 75 to 80% will have been planted. Aviko Potato also confirmed this in the most recent planting progress overview. In some regions, many have already disconnected the planting machine, such as in the north and center of the Netherlands. For example, starch group Avebe indicated last Monday that it was almost done with planting (90% of the area). However, in the southern areas, sometimes much more needs to be done.

Willem van Tilburg, purchasing and sales manager at Aviko Potato, confirms that the differences in planting progress are large. "Due to the difference in rainfall, you see big differences in the potato planting. If you take the weather map, you can clearly see where the most precipitation has fallen. The potato planting is often disappointing in these areas. I think that the clay areas in particular are further are the sandy areas, if you see what precipitation has fallen in the southeast."

It seems that the closer to the border with Belgium, the more planting still needs to be done. Sources confirm that some growers in the southeast still need to plant more than half of their acreage. Sometimes a lot still needs to be done in parts of Zeeland.

Emiel Noordermeer, arable sales advisor at CZAV, indicates that the majority of the potatoes on the South Holland islands are in the back. "The fact that all the potatoes have been planted is a bit of an exaggeration, but here at least 90% to 95% of the area is in the ground." But the region may still need to be replanted due to the amount of water that fell afterwards. However, it is still too early to say anything meaningful about this. "There were quite heavy showers here in the region last weekend. We have to wait and see whether the potatoes will rot here. Perhaps they will then be planted again."

Belgium is far behind
While on balance more than three quarters of the total area in the Netherlands is in the ground, our southern neighbors are even further behind in potato crops. There too, precipitation prevents growers from going onto the land. In the leg overview that Aviko Potato publishes weekly, it is clear that Belgium has made the least progress of the EU-4. Aviko estimates the planted area at 'only' 40% in Belgium, with little progress having been made compared to a week earlier. 

Ilse Eeckhout, potato team leader at the Belgian Viaverda (merger of several Belgian testing centres), says that hardly any progress has been made in the last week. As Viaverda, they also conducted a survey among Flemish growers, which showed that only 46% had been planted. "Our survey was closed on May 21. We did have some dry days after closing the survey, so the percentage is slightly higher now. I think just over half of the area is now in the ground. But also We had a lot of rain again last week, so it's not really happening."

According to Eeckhout, the most precipitation fell in the northeast, but there is also a large backlog of potato legs in the provinces of West Flanders and East Flanders (the largest potato growing area). According to the poll, 38% of the estimated potato area has been planted in West Flanders and in Flemish Brabant only 36% could be planted out. They will also give rain again in the coming days - just like in the Netherlands.

State of affairs in Germany and France
In France and Germany, potato planting is more advanced, although certainly not yet complete. This is also reflected in Aviko's figures. In France, some growers were able to land again, but here too the precipitation prevents the planting from finally being completed. In Germany, planting progress is variable. The majority of cultivation areas are ready, but the areas in West Germany - which border the Netherlands and Belgium - face the same difficulties, according to Ferdinand Buffen, director at the German potato trading house Weuthen. "In our area, the last 20% still needs to be planted. And with our growers in Brabant and Limburg, 30% still needs to be planted. We also have another problem. In plots that have been planted, we have problems with rotten potatoes. The situation in these regions is no different than that in Brabant and Limburg in the Netherlands." Buffen indicates that the potatoes are planted as soon as possible, even when June arrives. He is referring to the still high balance that potato cultivation can yield compared to other crops.

Mediocre conditions and rotten pots
Even in the well-planted plots, this growing season does not last in some areas. Everyone has seen it in recent weeks: The water is up to the top of the potato ridges and the soil is completely saturated. The heavy showers are localized, but the different areas cover a considerable area. All in all, the precipitation is quite significant. It is now clear that some of the seed potatoes have become choked and are already rotting. This often concerns lowlands and headlands, but unfortunately rotten potters are also found in entire parts of a potato plot. Many growers on heavy soils have also not been successful in tilling in recent times and the plants have now been growing for some time.
 

Seed potatoes did not survive the 150 mm rainfall in May, even though the water was off land within 12 hours. pic.twitter.com/Zo9QMBOR4z

— Frank Kuijpers (@FrankPKuijpers) May 27, 2024

With the current temperature and the amount of moisture, the crop is growing very fast. And in addition to the plant, there is another that thrives under these conditions and that is phytophthora. The situation is worrying with the first phytophthora finds. BO-Akkerbouw reported this last weekend. They indicated that several infections have already been found throughout the Netherlands. 

The (cut) seed potatoes also do not benefit late planting. In addition to the fact that cut seed potatoes are less able to withstand the wet conditions in the ground, the quality also deteriorates sharply for the lots that were cut weeks ago. The potency also decreases after repeated sprouting, especially if the batches have been heated to the desired temperature for a longer period of time.