Potato growers made significant progress in the first half of October. As a result, only 10% of the harvest remains to be completed in the four European potato-producing countries. This final stretch could take a long time.
It's not exactly wet, but it's not dry either. A combination of gray days and drizzle kept the topsoil moist. That's not so bad for the potato harvest. It's still dry in the south—particularly the southwest. Most of the French fry potatoes still had to be harvested there at the beginning of last week. A substantial area was also in the ground in the northeast of the country, but that mainly concerns starch potatoes that are now being stored.
Germany is lagging behind slightly
Aviko puts the harvested percentage for the Netherlands at 90% for last week. France and Belgium are still around 5 percent higher. Germany lags behind slightly. There, Aviko growers still need to harvest 15% of the harvest. Viaverda also reports 80% to 90% harvested in Belgium. These are excellent figures for mid-October. Progress is much better than in the past two years and is more in line with the 2022 harvest year. Many arable farmers have also sown winter wheat and barley under favorable conditions.
It's striking that there are many remaining plots that have been partially harvested, but not completely removed. These are the potatoes outside the contract that the buyer didn't collect upon delivery. Factories are, to put it mildly, reluctant to acquire these potatoes and are rather happy to be rid of them. Growers, on the other hand, are also reluctant to "give them away" for €15 per ton. Now that most corn pits have been filled and the autumn grass has largely been cleared, demand for feed potatoes is dwindling somewhat.
Above the market
Just like in 2022, it could take a long time for all these potatoes to be harvested. Some growers are even betting on a mild winter, so they might even wait until next spring to harvest. A potato stores best in the ground, as the saying goes, but the effect on the market is certainly positive. A surplus of potatoes will linger, preventing the French fry market from recovering.
Although harvesting, drought issues aside, has gone almost smoothly everywhere, the quality isn't always great. Insiders report that the Innovator variety in particular sometimes has internal defects, leading to open lots of this variety being sold. Viaverda reports rotten tubers caused by red rot on heavier soil.
Unpredictability
The weather models are showing their most unpredictable side for the second half of October. Rain is a certainty, but the exact amount is apparently difficult to determine. This doesn't immediately cause tensions. The ground can handle quite a bit, especially in the south of the Netherlands, Belgium, and northern France. Late October will see slightly changeable weather, and temperatures will continue to drop. November is also expected to start with unsettled weather.
The fact that the harvest has been relatively uneventful doesn't mean growers can rest on their laurels. A considerable number of potatoes have been moved into short-term storage or emergency storage facilities, at the initiative of buyers. This is particularly the case in Belgium and France. Belgium's largest processor reportedly acted promptly and advised growers to store their potatoes for a short period. This is partly why, despite the significant processing hiccups, growers haven't yet encountered any major problems. These potatoes should all be delivered to the factory gates in the coming weeks and months.