Another 110.000 hectares to be cleared in the EU-4

In the Netherlands, an estimated 20% of the area still needs to be harvested. In Flevoland and on the South Holland islands, the harvest is almost finished and it concerns the last hectares. In large parts of North Holland and Northern Netherlands (clay), the potatoes are also behind the planks.

In the other cultivation areas for consumption potatoes, growers have not yet finished harvesting. Especially in the eastern Netherlands, the middle and eastern parts of North Brabant and in Limburg, there is still a significant area in the ground. Growers are also not finished on the Brabant clay and in Zeeland. Although companies are trying to put an end to it this weekend, provided that the crops have died off sufficiently. It is dangerous to mention percentages, but on the sandy and loam soils, it is often estimated that 50% or more is still in the field.

Wallonia in particular is lagging behind
Belgian growers have – despite the sometimes locally heavy rainfall – continued to harvest. Viaverda estimates the harvested percentage at 70% to 80% in Flanders (which was 50% at the beginning of last week) and 50% to 60% for Wallonia. This means that, especially for Walloon growers, at least seven to fourteen harvestable days are still needed to get everything in.

The harvesting progress in the Netherlands has so far been running almost parallel to last autumn. On 20 October, 80% had also been harvested. In Belgium, it was 70%. The outcome of the situation is etched in the collective memory. The current situation is fundamentally different. A year ago, the KNMI precipitation meter was well above 100 millimetres and locally often above 150 millimetres. Only the extreme south is now already above 100, although it is also quite wet in the eastern Netherlands.

Warm autumn weather
This week in the Netherlands and Belgium we are experiencing calm and above average warm weather. Temperatures in Limburg can even rise to 20 degrees. It is also quite cold at night. The high temperatures are a challenge for storage. The air is too warm and humid to dry with outside air. At the end of October, the changeable weather will return, as the weather models now show, and a showery weather type will return.

At the potato office. Last 6 ha to do. Just Wulfje then rest after 90 ha of service this year pic.twitter.com/vthdH3u8Rz

— Michael Schippers (@mschippers67) October 20, 2024

Many potato growers do not wait for a new series of rain showers and try – as far as possible – to get the potatoes in. As a result, the product sometimes arrives very wet, with a lot of adhering soil. Suffocation, due to the smearing of the lenticels, is lurking. Crops that have not been sprayed with MH, or where it has not been successful, can already show the first sprouts. Viaverda notes that certain varieties are very eager to sprout. Due to the sometimes extremely late planting dates, crops are not always ready to be harvested. Late varieties (Markies, Ramos) sometimes even have to be sprayed to death!

110.000 hectares to be cleared
In summary, this amounts to almost 110.000 hectares of consumption potatoes that still need to be harvested in the EU-4. That is 19% of the total area. This may sound like a lot – and of course it is – but in itself it is not a worrying situation for the second half of October. It does mean that the first half of November must also be in a favourable mood for potato growers to bring the harvest to a successful conclusion.

The overall picture in the EU-4 (Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France) still shows an above-average potato harvest this autumn, provided that all potatoes come out of the ground! A calculation 'on the back of a cigar box' shows that the current harvestable area is good for at least 4,6 million tonnes of potatoes (five-year average EU-4 of 42,87 tonnes/ha). Almost a fifth of the total harvest size.

Yields vary widely
Reports on yields and quality vary greatly. Plots with cut seed potatoes, which were then given a lot of water, are very disappointing. In the southwest, growers report this a lot. Yields of 25 to 35 tons are then the norm rather than the exception. On sandy soils, average to above-average yields are sometimes achieved – despite the wetness. It must be said that the situation can vary greatly locally. In Belgium too, yields are not always disappointing, but a later planting date certainly costs kilos.

There are no concerns about the end of the harvest yet. The larger growers in particular are used to the harvest continuing into November. In itself, that is not a problem, provided that a severe night frost stays away. It is clear that the first half of next month will also be used extensively for harvesting. It is anyone's guess how the weather will turn out during that period. The urgency is present with everyone. Continue where possible, even if the conditions are a meager six instead of an eight or higher.