Analysis Potato market
Will part of Belgium's harvest not come out again?
While in parts of the Netherlands the harvest is now largely completed, in the southern part of the Netherlands and Belgium it is not yet going smoothly. Especially in the east of Belgium the harvest is still far from behind the shelves.
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Choose the subscription that suits youGrowers report that the harvest is going very difficult and that the harvesters are crawling over the land to get the potatoes out of the ground. This week, a lot of water fell in places and the ground seems saturated in places. It is especially exciting in the east of Belgium. In the first fifteen days of October, more than 60 millimeters fell locally.
Source: Viaverda/Mety
Estimates in the field indicate that 40% to half of the main harvest is still in the ground in Belgium. At least fifteen to twenty harvestable days are still needed to get the potatoes above ground. A repeat of last year cannot be ruled out. Traders and growers are concerned whether the harvest will be completed this year. The western part of Belgium has had less rain. Growers there are therefore further harvesting. This is the opposite of last year, when it was precisely the Westhoek where the potatoes remained.
The hope is now for a dry period after October 26. Fortunately, the temperatures do not seem to be dropping significantly (which could cause more showers).
