Preliminary figures for the Spanish province of Castilla y León show that the harvest of late potatoes is considerably lower. The Spanish potato cultivation has an extremely difficult season. First frost, followed by severe drought. On top of that come very low prices. Can the tide be turned?
Not all figures for the northern Spanish province of Castilla y León have been received yet, but it is clear that significantly fewer late potatoes have been harvested. The harvest is estimated at 649.000 tons. That is a reduction of 12% compared to last year. The area has decreased by 7%, to 20.000 hectares. Growers prefer to grow medium-early varieties.
Cultivation brought forward
The 'middle' segment has increased by almost 1.700 hectares this year. That's a plus of about 30%. Yet the total volume is only 7% higher. With a total of 34.500 hectares, the medium segment is now by far the largest group for potato varieties, accounting for more than 1 million tons of potatoes. In Castilla y León, almost a quarter more medium-early potatoes have been harvested. In Galicia the volume remains the same.
Extreme weather
According to the latest government estimate, the northern Spanish province will produce 818.000 tons of potatoes this year, 4,2% less than last year. The total area increased by 3%, accounting for almost 30% of the total potato area in Spain. Weather conditions are due to a dampening of yields. In April it was freezing and in mid-June it was extremely warm. This means that the average yield is below 40 tons per hectare. That's marginal.
Price at rock bottom
In addition to fewer kilos, the Spanish price is also very low. The national average is €72,40 per tonne in mid-October. In 4 out of 5 years the price was considerably higher. Only in 2014 was the price at a comparable level. Prices for late potatoes amounted to €80 to €90 per tonne for Agria at the beginning of October. Varieties such as Desiree and Asterix did not exceed €40 per tonne.