Chicory yield is disappointing due to wet autumn

The chicory harvest is almost complete. According to processor Sensus, less than 1% of the roots still need to be harvested. This also provides insight into the revenues. It is clear that the inulin silos will not overflow this year.

René Schunselaar, agro manager at Sensus, calls the harvesting conditions challenging this season. “It is still very wet. I therefore appreciate the efforts of growers and contractors. They ensured that there was sufficient supply every week.” According to Schunselaar, a single plot has to be cleared, mainly in the higher sand plots. “It is estimated that we will complete the campaign around January 25.

More tare, less inulin
Due to the wet autumn, the tare percentages are considerably higher and the yields are lower. “For a good chicory harvest you need a sunny and in any case dry autumn. We got the exact opposite. It couldn't have been wetter and darker. As a result, we have been at a tare percentage of 13 to 14% since the start of the campaign, while we aim for a percentage below 10%.”

The same goes for the inulin level, which should have been 17% or higher this year. “I think we're going to get to 16,6 or 16,7% on average. That too can be traced back entirely to the wet autumn, which is a shame. We would have liked it to be different, but with outdoor cultivation we are dependent on the weather conditions.”

being realistic
Sensus expects the average inulin yield this year to be 7,5 to 8 tons per hectare. This means that the yield is below the target of 8,1 tons per hectare in 2019. This is based on the program to improve the crop yield with the ultimate goal of 10 tons per hectare in 2023. “We have to be realistic about that. We can make a lot of good choices in terms of varieties, fields, fertilization and sowing date, but in the end we always depend on the growing and harvesting conditions.”

Nevertheless, Schunselaar still sees a rising trendline when it comes to chicory yield. “Until 4 years ago, it was always around 7 tons per hectare on average. Now we are working with the entire sector to make progress and that is bearing fruit. By giving cultivation priority and attention, the number of cultivation failures has also decreased significantly.”

Jeanette Pennings

Jeannet has her roots in the flower bulb sector and she grew up on an agricultural company in the northern part of North Holland. As a generalist she reports for Boerenbusiness across all sectors. She is also exploring the possibilities of sponsored advertising.

j.pennings@boerenbusiness. Nl

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