More and more potatoes in emergency storage

The 2025 potato harvest in the EU-4 is still ongoing. This isn't particularly surprising. It briefly seemed as if progress was proceeding at record speed, but now, especially with field deliveries, things are stalling. This pattern is visible not only in the Netherlands but throughout Northwest Europe. Growers expect to have to harvest at least until mid-November. Meanwhile, there has been considerable rain, which isn't speeding up the harvesting process.

Emergency storage
Before the rain and between the showers, potato growers still harvested batches last week. Most plots have been cleared for storage, but not yet for delivery to the field. This often involves surplus quantities outside of contracts. Growers choose to store these in temporary storage, ensuring they are harvested from the land. If the potatoes cannot be stored indoors, they are stored under a roof or in a trench silo, or, as with starch potatoes, in a pile in the field. Covering with Toptex is required to prevent rain from seeping into the pile, reports the Belgian company Viaverda.

Storage space has become scarce in the EU-4 due to the average good yields. Even growers who normally have sufficient storage space are now sometimes having to make do, and emergency storage units are being set up. This is partly due to efforts to cut costs. If the soil is suitable for late harvesting, potatoes may be left in the ground for a while.

Livestock farming sales
Potato consignments are still finding their way to (dairy) farms, even though the grass and corn harvests are over. Some potato growers, for example, do business directly with a colleague. Especially when they rent land from a dairy farmer, agreements can sometimes be made. One hurdle, however, is that the potatoes actually need to be washed. And then they have a short shelf life, meaning only small volumes can be supplied.

What helps potato growers is that the supply of by-products from processors is limited due to slower processing speeds. This results in a smaller supply of potato chips and steam peels, for example.

Backlogs in France
Potato processors are not exactly eager to deal with the surplus kilos. They are already straining their resources to meet their obligations. Several processors are facing reduced capacity. Single lines or entire factories are being shut down for short or long periods, coupled with maintenance that already needed to be carried out. This is hindering smooth deliveries. The French growers' organization UNPT reports delays at McCain and Farm Frites in France. Clarebout is also on that list, but mainly due to the enormous consequences of the strike. The backlog at Clarebout is estimated at 80.000 tons. That's almost 2% of total Belgian potato production this year.

The Dutch processing figures for October could provide more clarity in a few weeks about the state of the factories in the Netherlands. Insiders report that Lamb Weston and McCain, among others, have reduced production by (partially) halting processing. A key reason for the French fry producers is that their cold stores are overflowing with product and sales are struggling.

This is increasingly creating a "potato plug" (a term from the pig farming industry that denotes a significant oversupply due to lower demand), which is severely hampering the market. As a result, any market recovery, which was anticipated for early next year, is becoming increasingly remote as long as this situation persists. A catch is the potato quality. A growing number of storages are experiencing bruising where harvesting took place under excessively dry conditions, especially when irrigation was not possible beforehand.

Precipitation
Meanwhile, the usual rain has returned to many areas, making it difficult to harvest the last remaining potato fields. The northern Netherlands, once again, received the most precipitation. In the southwest, some 50 to 60 millimeters have fallen, but the soil remains very dry at the bottom. In Belgium, the precipitation was scattered, as was northern France. In Germany, significant rain fell, particularly in the south.

In the second half of the week, the chance of precipitation decreases and the weather warms up. According to current weather models, November will start with slightly changeable and slightly warmer weather. Cold is barely visible on the weather maps, which is positive in light of the harvest.

Last percentages to be harvested
This concerns the last percentage of the area that still needs to be harvested. It is estimated that 90% to 95% of all potatoes in the EU-4 have already been harvested. Storage is often already higher than that. The portion harvested after harvest is not included in all calculations of harvest progress.