European processors are stockpiling potatoes

Getting a good handle on the situation is not easy. Yields in the EU-4 are not bad, but they are very heterogeneous. This is also reflected in the yield figures this year, which range from just under 20 to over 70 tonnes per hectare. This has a lot to do with the planting date and the amount of precipitation that fell during the season.

Problem parties
The fact is that this means that more problem batches are in circulation than growers and processors would like. A large part of them has already been given a place or will be in the remaining weeks of this year. Sometimes batches of potatoes spontaneously go the wrong way. A failed MH spraying or tubers that suddenly start to rot. Opinions differ on what exactly is the cause.

Finally, there is a disappointing sales of end product, although processors are not showing all their backs. The whole crazy thing may be over, but you certainly can't call the volume bad. Up to and including the summer, European companies were able to sell tons on the world market.

Fifth more delivered
The Belgian potato organisations conducted a stock survey among 200 growers in mid-November. This showed that more than a fifth more contract potatoes were delivered than the average over five years. However, significantly fewer free potatoes were delivered. This obviously concerns delivery from the field and from short-term storage. In total, 15 million tonnes were in stock on 3,27 November, which is 2% more than the multi-year average. Partly due to a higher yield and partly due to slower sales.

We may assume that on this date almost all Belgian potatoes had been harvested, although even at the time of the Interpom harvesting was still taking place in West Flanders! This concerns the last hundreds of hectares, which were sometimes only planted in August.

A quarter more available in stock
In the past month, Belgian processors have mainly collected contracted tons, which means that the free stock is a quarter larger than normal. It is expected that this also includes a share of lower quality, which has been deliberately avoided by buyers. The final volume may therefore differ. In itself remarkable, because with a Belgapom quotation of €12,50 for weeks, it is more interesting in terms of price than completing contracts, you would think. In reality, hardly any truly free potatoes have been traded for this price. They were barely even for sale for €15.

Looking at the volumes, a larger harvest in Belgium plays a role. The potato organisations estimate the total harvest at 4,55 million tonnes. Slightly less than last year was harvested, but 4% more than the five-year average.

More in Dutch storage
On the same date (15 November), VTA also conducted a first inventory round among its members in the Netherlands. This showed that 10% had been delivered and 40% of the total volume was freely available for sale (36% of the total harvest). In absolute tonnes, almost a fifth less was delivered than was the case last year. Exactly the opposite of Belgium.

In the Netherlands, we can test this well using the monthly processing figures. A higher stock is in line with what the Vavi reports. For example, 5% less was processed in August and 1,2% less in September compared to a year earlier. Earlier in the summer, processing was also behind. CBS reported a yield per hectare of 46,2 tonnes per hectare this autumn, but the VTA growers did not get further than 43,6 tonnes. Previously, the test harvest figures were still in that line. Our southern neighbours are doing slightly better with an average of 44,69 tonnes/ha.

Record yield EU-4
The NEPG has also published its figures for the 2024 harvest in the EU-4. They estimate that the countries have collectively harvested 24,75 million tonnes of potatoes this year. That is an increase of 7,7% on last year and 9% more than the five-year average. For the Netherlands, the NEPG is calculating a slightly smaller 3,37 million tonnes. For Belgium, too, it is just below the country's own forecast, at 4,45 million tonnes.

Never before have so many ware potatoes been harvested in North-Western Europe as in 2024. The old record dates from 2017, when 23,53 million tonnes were harvested. The increase in yield is entirely attributable to the sharply increased area – by 7,2% to 557.297 hectares – and not a favourable growing season. The yield per hectare amounts to 44,4 tonnes. That is slightly more than the five-year average. In most European countries, certainly where cultivation is intensive, you see that the long-term trend shows a declining yield per hectare. This is only compensated for by the ever-increasing area.

Read more about the limits of potato cultivation in this analysis.