Due to the relatively high carrot prices in recent weeks, carrots are in the spotlight. Arable farmers are looking for how to fill in the construction plan. The basis of potatoes is no longer a certainty for a number of growers and some farmers are looking for other high-yielding crops to supplement the crop plan.
More early carrots were sown this year than last season. This is because last year there was a gap of a few weeks between the old and the new harvest. Then there was a late spring, which caused the start of the harvest to be delayed by several weeks and the yields were disappointing. Washers have had to get very expensive carrots from, for example, Southern Europe and Israel. Whether a similar effect will occur this year depends on the spring. Several traders expect that when there is shortage, carrots grown under fleece will have an advantage.
Shrinkage in Flevoland
According to insiders, the carrot area this season will remain relatively the same as last season or will shrink slightly. Seed companies report that normally a lot of seed still needs to be ordered in April.
A small decline in area is expected in the Flevopolder. Several growers there have construction plans that are on the intensive side. There have been some quality problems with the carrot on various plots where cultivation has been (too) intensive in recent years. These mainly emerge during storage. This is at the expense of returns and makes growers doubt whether they should continue with carrots. Various insiders therefore expect the area in the Flevopolder to be slightly smaller.
New growing areas
This is offset by an expansion of the area in eastern and southwestern Netherlands. However, carrot places high demands on the soil. A major shift, as is the case with onions, is certainly not the case with carrots.
Several growers on the eastern sandy soil often postpone the decision about which crop to grow until the last minute. The development of potato and seed potato prices could significantly change the cropping plan of arable farmers there. Part of the area is contracted and is already reasonably fixed, but the free area can still shift quite a bit.
New growers in the southwest who choose carrots are often unable to irrigate to a limited extent or not at all. The yields of potatoes and onions at these companies have therefore been disappointing in recent years. Carrots are normally a crop that does not require much irrigation, apart from pre-emergence. Carrots are therefore sown on various farms as a replacement for onions.