Dutch Crop tour Potatoes and onions
Does arable farming benefit from a dry spring?
April is generally known as the driest month of the year, and this was underscored once again this year. For crop growth, it was certainly beneficial that some precipitation fell in the short term. For the market, however, the situation might be slightly different.
The past month of April was exceptionally dry, with a national average of only 8 millimeters of precipitation compared to the normal 40 millimeters. In De Bilt, 2,4 millimeters fell, making the month the second driest April since records began. In the southwest and central parts of the country, less than 10 millimeters of rain fell on just three to five days combined.
The north and east were slightly wetter with 10 to 15 millimeters, while South Limburg was the least dry with approximately 25 millimeters. The precipitation deficit rose to 75 millimeters last month, considerably higher than the usual 25 millimeters for the end of April.
Exceptionally beautiful weather for spring work
We had not often seen a spring like that of 2025, with such dry conditions so early in the season. It was therefore not expected that this scenario would repeat itself this year. For a long time, it did not look like it, even though onions were sown here and there in late March. Locally, conditions were favorable enough to sow, but far from everyone had foreseen that April would subsequently turn out to be so dry. Something that reminds one a little of the spring of 2025 once again.
Although it was possible to work the land every day last month, the dry weather during the month also presented challenges. Onions that, for whatever reason, were not sown properly in the firm, moist soil could not germinate. To help the onions get started, the irrigation reel was brought out of the shed early this year. Irrigation was also used to soften the crust on onions sown in March.
Dry conditions pose challenges not only for onions but also for potatoes. Particularly on sandy and heavier clay soils, it became more difficult over the course of the month to get the potatoes into sufficiently moist ridges, meaning rain will be needed to get the potatoes growing. Hilling and tilling the potato ridges is also more difficult, as the dry soil causes the ridges to hold less firmly and consequently collapse more quickly.
Rain is forecast again.
Significant rain is expected once again this coming weekend, although it will consist of localized showers. The question is what this will yield and whether Dutch onion and potato growers can leave their irrigation reels in the shed for the time being. At the same time, it should be noted that we are still at the beginning of May. Once onions have emerged and the first shoots are starting to develop, their roots are already 'reasonably deep' in the ground. At that stage, such a small plant does not evaporate nearly as much moisture.
The same applies to potatoes. Once in a moist ridge, a potato can manage there for the time being and continue to develop. However, under current conditions, it is so dry that a freshly tilled or earthed-up ridge will not simply become completely wet from rain. It often takes quite a few significant millimeters to get the ridge really thoroughly wet.
Do dry conditions influence market sentiment?
Much has already been said about the current situation in arable farming. Consequently, it is often portrayed that if it remains dry for an extended period, 'it might as well stay dry'. Given last year's yields and the expansion of the cultivated area, it is perhaps not a bad thing that a year with slightly less growth is coming. Although little can be said about this at this time of year, it must be noted that it is only the beginning of May. The young crop consumes little moisture, meaning the drought is not yet immediately perceived as a problem.
Jan Willem Veldman
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