The media throughout Europe are now full of a dramatic situation among arable farmers. After a soaking wet spring, with greatly delayed planting dates, the dreaded phytophthora fungus reared its ugly head. You will soon have to pay more for your bag of table potatoes, chips or a bowl of fries. Is the situation really as dramatic as portrayed?
It feels like it rained almost continuously between October 10 and June 20, and that's about right. The KNMI recorded the twelve wettest months ever and the second wettest spring ever (measured in De Bilt). On average, double the amount of rain that fell between February and May of what is average for the Netherlands. The national average was 1.153 millimeters last year, but in the past twelve months it has risen to 1.246 millimeters.
hit Western Europe
The situation is similar in many European countries, according to data from the European weather agency ECMWF. In parts of France, Belgium, Ireland and therefore the Netherlands it rained records, literally. It was also very wet in Italy, western Russia and parts of the Iberian Peninsula. Just this weekend, heavy rainfall in Switzerland caused flooding and landslides. Damage to potatoes in southern Germany - due to flooding in May - is estimated at 30% to 40%.
Potato growers in England also report that they have been severely affected by the weather. SOS (save our spuds) sounds in the media. Eastern England, one of the most popular potato growing areas and usually one of the driest parts, has had a similar spring to this side of the North Sea. Growers see their production costs continually rising and fear that this will not be compensated. According to Alastair Heath, chairman of the potato department of the NFU (English LTO ed.), the situation is not yet so pressing that supermarket shelves remain empty and Britons are deprived of their beloved fish & chips without that chips have to eat.
Fear of phythophthora
In Germany, the general media - just like in the Netherlands - are reporting phythophthora that is currently spreading. Organic growers are hit hard, but conventional crops are also difficult to keep clean. The package of resources throughout Europe has been thinned out so much that this is being noticed. Curative intervention is almost impossible anymore.
Reports of phythophthora outbreaks have been steadily trickling in at the NAK inspection service since last week, according to technical coordinator Jeroen Winkelhorst. "Infected storage plants are reported, among other things. Growers will be in violation from July 1 if they do not tackle potato storage. However, if the storage plants are infected with phythophthora, you will also be punishable for that period."
Pressure remains high
A warmer and dry weather ensures that the disease pressure does not increase further, but Winkelhorst warns against false security. "The soil is still wet and absorbs moisture. Due to dew, the crop also remains wet for a long time in the morning. You have, as it were, a separate microclimate in the crop. It is therefore advisable to remain alert and stick to the spraying schedule. ."
In the meantime, warnings have also been issued about downy mildew in onions. French wine growers have already been affected and onion experts are also finding it in the crops. Normally the fungal disease appears in June, but this has happened earlier. Especially in onion sets. Here too, the advice applies that growers must be on top of crop protection to keep their crops healthy.
In the meantime, the planting of seed potatoes in the Netherlands has not yet been completed. NAK expects that the last seed potato plots will be planted this week. "Work still needs to be done in the Achterhoek and southwest Netherlands." Several reports have been received from North Holland of seed potato plots that have been completely lost due to heavy rainfall. These growers will still be allowed to plant potatoes on these plots next year, the NAK and NVWA have decided. The AM-free declaration remains valid. "This damage occurred after very large quantities," Winkelhorst explains. "In practice, we see that most plots show spot losses of plants due to rain, but rarely an entire field."
Legs nearing completion
In Belgium, potato growers still had to plant about 5% of the acreage at the end of last week, according to insiders. Together with companies in the South and East of the Netherlands, this concerns the last percentages that have not yet been planted in Western Europe. With possible thunderstorms and rain showers at the end of this week, it is expected that most potatoes will be able to go into the ground this week. It is possible that some large growers will still have to plant part of their acreage after July 1.
Western European potato growers have had the most difficult nine months. This results in a significantly above-average potato price, but the group that can benefit from this is small. We can now conclude that the top of the new harvest has also certainly disappeared. Yet there are also insiders who point to area expansion in France and Germany, places where crops grow well, and rapid crop development. The cards for the 2024 harvest year have not yet been shuffled.