The Spanish countryside has been fighting for many months in search of the recognition and respect it deserves. A fight that aims to value their work and enforce their rights. Fair potatoes prices and protection against unfair imports from third countries are their main spears in the battle.
The greatest concern is centered on the crisis in prices at origin, especially this year in which production costs have skyrocketed. The strong competition suffered by the national potato is also worrying. Countries like Syria, Israel, Algeria, Egypt and especially France invade Spanish supermarkets from October to April .
But, why does the Spanish market resort to this import every year? Is it not possible to produce potatoes in Spain to be self-sufficient?
Is it possible to produce domestic potatoes for 12 months?
With the permission of climatology, the answer to this question is a resounding ‘YES’. Yes, it is possible to produce potatoes in Spain during the 12 months of the year. A good variety programming with different cycles, and staggered plantations (even double plantations) in the different potato growing areas of Spain, would ensure a ‘non-stop’ production 365 days. This is demonstrated by companies such as PATATAS HIJOLUSA, PATATAS CATALAN or PATATAS LÁZARO, among others. In fact, most supermarkets offer a national potato reference throughout the year. AGRIA and LADY YELLOW are usually the most used varieties in this national reference.
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Although we could have domestic new potatoes throughout the year, we are consuming imported conservation potatoes for almost half a year.
To achieve this objective, it is essential to correctly plan the second harvests in various producing areas. For example, in the Valencian Community, the Region of Murcia and the Balearic Islands, it is recommended to plant the second crop from the month of August. In this way, between December and February, the harvesting of this second crop could be carried out.
Could Spain be self-sufficient in potato supply?
But the real question is not whether it is possible to produce potatoes in Spain for 12 months, but whether it is possible to produce enough potatoes to be self-sufficient. This issue is more complex. Currently, the national production between the months of December and April is insufficient to cover the needs of the market. Therefore, the large distribution chains have to resort to imported potatoes.
“There is not enough production in Spain to be able to cover the entire market, so we are forced to import potatoes from other countries during those months.” HIJOLUSA POTATOES
Complete self-sufficiency seems, a priori, to be a very distant objective at present, since in Spain we are deficient in potato production, especially in the winter months. In addition, the trend of recent years points to a clear decrease in cultivated area and production: ” Since 2007, 855 hectares have been lost with 20,000 tons “.
- High volumes of new potatoes are available from April to October. During the rest of the months, it is necessary to resort to
- (1) new potatoes from second plantations,
- (2) national conservation potatoes,
- or (3) imported potatoes.
To achieve self-sufficiency we should (1) reverse this trend and maintain continued high production; (2) invest in improving infrastructures that favor better conservation of tubers; (3) raise awareness of the importance of promoting national products; and (4) ensure the profitability of producers.
Future of the national potato
As we have mentioned, a negative trend in potato production in Spain has been consolidated in recent years. The low profitability of the crop and the lack of protection of the producers are the main reasons for this decline, which is clearly reflected in the statistics. Precisely, the importation of foreign potatoes recursively penalizes this profitability, making this dependence more and more acute.
- Every year we can read headlines such as “ The ‘invasion’ of the French potato sinks the Salamanca farmer even further ” ( the Salamanca gazette, 2020 );
- « The importation of old French potatoes sinks the prices at origin of seasonal potatoes » ( Unió de Pagesos, 2012 );
- «The Sevillian potato sinks in the face of rising imports from France »( Sevilla ABC, 2019 );
- or ” The potato campaign started badly this year and has ended worse ” ( Markets, 2020 ).
If this continues, the situation of the national potato will continue to worsen. The sector needs to react and recover the space that belongs to it.
José Daniel Bravo , farmer and current vice-president of the Siembra Santa Isabel potato cooperative, with whom we have previously spoken about the presence of the French potato in the Spanish market, has declared in the Burgos newspaper that “ France has eaten us “ , “ Most of the potato for consumption that is sold in Spain comes from France and Holland .”
About us
The Patata de Siembra blog is formed by a group of people with a common interest, agriculture. Specifically, potato cultivation. This common interest made us get started in December 2019 and create a digital medium for disseminating relevant information in the world of potatoes . We want to bring together in one place, together with all the information that we think may be interesting and relevant, all the actors involved in the potato world (farmers, cooperatives, distributors, producers, etc.) so that they can interact and create synergies.
We do not organize ourselves by hierarchies or ranks. Our way of working is based on collaboration and motivation . We distribute authority and decision-making horizontally, so that all contributions have the same relevance. We are not potato seed marketers, only informants and promoters. We do not sell seed, we help those interested to solve their doubts and find the necessary tools and contacts to be successful in their crops.
