Spain is once again experiencing a poor potato harvest. It is 7,5% below the multi-year average and is 28.000 tonnes smaller than last year's harvest. Persistent precipitation makes the end of the season exciting. Both for consumption and seed potatoes.
According to figures from the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture (Mapa), 1,948 million tonnes of potatoes will be harvested in the country this year. A decrease of 1,5% compared to last year. The harvest was not good everywhere, but a smaller area does not help either. The 60.800 hectares that were planted this year are the second smallest ever in Spain. Despite production problems, the yield per hectare was slightly above average.
The harvest of late potatoes in the north of Spain, according to official figures, amounts to almost 720.000 tonnes. That is slightly more than was harvested last year. In the largest potato province, Castilla y Léon, 3% more potatoes were harvested.
Below average again
For the third year in a row, the harvest has not exceeded two million tonnes and for five years now, the volume has been below the ten-year average. New figures from Mapa show that the other harvests (early, early and mid-early) are slightly higher. A good 10% more of the early potatoes was harvested and for the mid-early this is 7% less than last year.
The tail end of the harvest in Northern Spain is not going as well due to severe weather (storm Kirk). This may have an impact on the final yield figures. This spring, persistent rainfall already caused problems with planting. This is the case again in mid-October, but now during the harvest. In Galicia, 60% of the area still had to be harvested in mid-October and an estimated third is still in the ground in mid-November. Crops that have been harvested are experiencing quality problems.
Meanwhile, southeastern Spain is still recovering from the Dana weather phenomenon (depresión aislada en niveles altos). Parts of Valencia and its surroundings have been devastated and the extreme weather has claimed over 1 lives. Damage to the agricultural sector has exceeded €XNUMX billion.
Seed potato shortage
Seed potatoes are also grown in this region, which is why the Spanish potato sector fears a possible shortage of starting material. In other growing regions, more towards the centre of Spain, persistent rainfall has also caused problems. It has been persistently wet since August. For the early growing regions, there is still expected to be sufficient starting material available, but for the main harvest it will be exciting next year.
A further handicap is the lack of imports from Scotland and England. These destinations are particularly important for the Kennebec and Red Pontiac varieties. Since Brexit, it is no longer possible for the Spanish to import seed potatoes. Spanish companies therefore hope for better availability of Dutch starting material for next season.
Prices stable
A smaller harvest and weather problems have not yet had a huge impact on pricing. Government figures show that the average sales price this summer, up to and including September, was €578 per tonne. That is almost 60% more than a year earlier. Potato prices are currently stable. Agria is paying €260 per tonne.