Avebe’s starch campaign has got off to a good start this year. Both the potato and starch yields have achieved good results in the first weeks of the campaign, although there are considerable differences between the growing areas.
The average starch percentage now stands at 19.4 percent with an underwater weight of 478 grams. The yield of the potatoes themselves is slightly better than in the last two years. The crops are better and more vital than last year at the same time, notes Avebe. This offers prospects for post-growth in potatoes that remain in the field for a little longer: the months of August and September are still important months of growth and affect the overall harvest.
More starch potatoes rained
The status of the crops varies greatly by cultivation area. Frost, hail and drought, combined with the heat, have caused a lot of damage. On these plots, the hectare yields are sometimes lower than average. Avebe notes that this year a significantly larger area of starch potatoes has been irrigated compared to previous years. The sprinkling of plots and the differences in precipitation cause differences in yields between plots.
The supply of potatoes is going ahead as planned and the factories are running full. A lot of grubbing up is already taking over in the Peat Colonial area. All potatoes that are now harvested go off land to one of Avebe’s processing sites.
The starch campaign started on 17 August. In the campaign scheduled until the end of April 2021, the potatoes of the approximately 2,300 Dutch and German members will be processed into potato starch and potato protein.
