Growers in the traditional carrot regions complain that the yield of the cultivation is under pressure. Prices were reasonable to good last season, but the quality of the carrots was the main problem. Is that a reason to stop the relatively expensive cultivation or are there areas where growers do see benefits in carrots?
According to various seed suppliers, there is a shift in the carrot area. More early carrots have been sown and less storage carrots. The total area has certainly not expanded this season, but there is no shrinkage either, according to several insiders. Exact figures cannot yet be given. The cultivation area is shifting somewhat from the north to the south of the country, but not as extreme as with onions where the opposite path is taken.
Big differences
The early carrots were generally sown under excellent conditions and are now in good condition. The rain in April and May has caused problems with the extraction of the storage carrots. Due to the (extreme) rainfall in some areas, several growers had to wait a long time before the soil was suitable.
That is why a relatively large amount of carrots was only sown at the beginning of June. The sharply dry weather of the last week and a half is not exactly favorable, especially for these late plots, and growers are therefore busy with irrigation.
Shrinkage in the north
There are several reasons why the area in the north (North Holland, Flevoland and along the Wadden coast) is shrinking. Carrot is cultivated in arable fields, but it is a vegetable crop. "Just adding cultivation," is disappointing, according to crop advisors. You have to be on top of it to make the cultivation successful. And that is not easy for some arable farmers during the busy spring.
In recent years we have had to deal with drought, especially in the spring. Plots that are actually not suitable/too heavy for carrots then float to the surface. There has been full irrigation, but that remains a bit of a stopgap measure. Irrigation before emergence works well, but later in the season it is important that the moisture penetrates the entire ridge. And that is often difficult with irrigation, resulting in quality problems.
What also plays a role is that some growers often use too tight a crop rotation. 1 in 6 will do well for a number of years according to various crop advisors, but in the longer term quality problems (spots) are lurking. These growers choose to expand the rotation or to stop cultivation. Because carrots only have a relatively small share in the crop plan for most growers and many farmers outsource a large part of the work, the step to stop carrot cultivation is quite easy to take.
Growth in the south
In recent years, the price of carrots was good at the beginning of the season. This has attracted the attention of growers in the southeast of the country. A good return prospect in combination with suitable soil has convinced the necessary growers to start or expand carrot cultivation.
According to some insiders, the growth in the southwest is mainly caused by Belgian customers. In terms of logistics, this area is favorable for sales to Belgium and the sandy loam and light clay soils are suitable for the cultivation of storage carrots. Lack of fresh water for irrigation is a risk in some areas during cultivation.