It is not often that the differences are so great in a small country. Sowing and planting activities are lagging behind, especially in the south of the Netherlands. Conditions in the east and northeast are also still not good. Yet there are places where sowing and planting work is already in the final stages.
The soil is still not suitable everywhere. The soil remains very wet, especially in the south of the country (Brabant and parts of Limburg). There are also places in the Achterhoek and Drenthe where there is still water on the land. In Zeeland, arable farmers had to sit on their hands for a long time, but spring work was resumed at the end of last week.
New round of new opportunities for a harvest #potatoes #field #harvest2024 #eatmorepotatoes pic.twitter.com/ypf314yYD3
— Maarten Janse (@HeeriteitenvW) May 13, 2024
Paw progress
Making an accurate estimate of how many potatoes are already in the ground is extremely difficult. It is certain that planting progress has progressed furthest in Flevoland. The first planting machines started operating in mid-March and the seed potatoes also started smoothly at the beginning of May. In southern Flevoland, planting potatoes for consumption is a little slower, but on average farmers here are doing well. This also applies to onions and sugar beets. The rain reels are now even running again. Difficult to imagine for someone in Brabant or Drenthe who is still draining water.
Things shouldn't get any crazier in the category..... pic.twitter.com/hHS8PxIpSL
- William Brooymans (@wbrooymans) May 11, 2024
An estimate of (barely) 50% for ware potatoes is probably quite close to the truth. That is certainly not early for mid-May, although we have sometimes been spoiled with an early start for 2023. Most of the work still needs to be done in the areas previously indicated. Plots that were already in the ground sometimes suffer from water damage. A combination of moisture and temperature – even at night – ensures rapid crop development.
Belgium is lagging behind
In Belgium, planting traditionally lags a bit further behind the Netherlands. Fiwap, the Walloon potato organization, communicated two weeks ago that only 30% of the early varieties were in the ground. Quite a bit of work has now been done in Wallonia. In West Flanders, all old potatoes still have to be removed from the ground and this is reflected in the progress of the planting work. You also see this image along the northern French coast. Much more work has been done further inland. At least half or more is in the ground. Planting is also running at full speed in Germany. This country already had a head start.
Then the onions. In the past week there was still time to sow in most places. There have been cases where the seed remains in the package, but this does not happen on a large scale. Even today (Monday, May 13) sowing is still going on. This once again pushes the limits of what is possible. Unlike last season, we now do not have poor and cold spring weather, which will hopefully benefit the initial development. The newly sown onions are developing very quickly, growers indicate. On plots where a heavy shower of water fell, crust formation is still a problem. This is tackled with artifice where possible.
Fifth beets still to be sown
By the middle of last week, more than a fifth of all sugar beets in the Netherlands still had to be sown, Cosun Beet Company reported. Growers in East Brabant and North and Central Limburg in particular still had to sow. Half of the area was in the ground at the beginning of May. There was also a considerable amount in the pack in Zeeland. Only 20% of the beets on Walcheren had been sown. Quite a bit of sowing work has now been done in the last four to five days. This means that sowing is a week later than in 2023, which in itself was a particularly late year.
After a lot of patience and despite the still too wet surface, I sow the beets # in the package and they do not grow either pic.twitter.com/w9WaTIxz0h
— patrick cevaal (@patrickcevaal) May 12, 2024
The brakes will be back on again in the second half of this week, if we can believe the weather maps. The models do not yet agree on where and how much precipitation will fall. It remains warmer than average. Once again, it is the southern Netherlands, Belgium and northern France that will experience more precipitation. About 30 millimeters or more can fall in total. That doesn't have to be a problem, but because the soil is still quite saturated, farmers really can't use it now.
Drier and more stable weather will return in the course of next week, as the weather maps currently show. The temperature in the legs remains. Most of the sowing and planting work can therefore be completed in May, but there is certainly no question of an early spring anymore.