The German statistical service Destatis assumes an area growth for potatoes for the 2024 harvest year. Last year, production shrank slightly. Wet conditions have a major impact on grain cultivation, but this is not yet noticeable in potatoes and sugar beets.
For 2024, Destatis assumes a total potato area of 275.400 hectares. That is a plus of 4% and the largest acreage in recent history. These figures should still be taken with a grain of salt. Last year the statistics service also did some juggling with the area figures. Ultimately, the total area amounted to 264.700 hectares (1% or 1.600 hectares less than in 2022). The expected area for this year is 3% higher than the five-year average.
10.700 hectares of growth
This year an increase of 10.700 hectares is possible and that is quite significant when you take the seed potato shortage into account. Table and starch potato cultivation are also not segments where much growth can be observed. An increase must therefore mainly come from chip potatoes and perhaps a small amount of seed potatoes. The figures have also been compiled for recent precipitation. Another 10% of the German potato area had to be planted at the end of May. In areas in southern Germany where extreme amounts of precipitation have fallen and flooding occurs, there is minimal chance that planting can take place at all.
It is still very early to say anything about returns. If we look at last year's average yield (43,85 tons per hectare), the harvest could theoretically reach 12 million tons. Last year that was 11,6 million tons. A significant part concerns consumption potatoes. In 2023 this was 189.810 hectares, of which 8,11 million tons were harvested.
Fifth more summer grain
The impact of a wet autumn and winter is clearly visible on grains. Destatis assumes 8,3% less winter wheat compared to 2023. This brings the area to 2,6 million hectares. Winter barley reaches 1,3 million hectares (+2,5%). The area of summer grains will increase by almost a fifth compared to 2023. A total of 1,1 million hectares is involved, which is 188.000 hectares more than was grown last year.
Spring wheat has more than tripled in area to almost 100.000 hectares. Spring barley, on the other hand, is growing by 'only' 13% to 363.200 hectares. More oats and grain maize are also being grown. German arable farmers sowed almost 6% less rapeseed last summer (1,1 million hectares). The statistics service puts silage maize at 2,1 million hectares, which is 5% more than in 2023. Sugar beets are growing by 6,5% to 421.600 hectares. Protein-rich crops such as peas and beans are growing in percentage terms, but in terms of surface area they lag far behind grains. For example, the cultivation of dry peas has increased to more than 132.000 hectares and that of field beans to 68.000 hectares.