The National Union of Potato Producers (UNPT) estimates losses of about 1.5 million tons in France.
The 2022 potato harvest promises to be “catastrophic”, down at least 20% from the average of the past twenty years, following the historic drought that has hit France, growers said on Friday.
The UNPT is requesting an emergency meeting with the Minister of Agriculture to initiate first aid measures that will allow France to maintain its status as the world’s leading potato exporter.
In 2021, France produced about 8 million tons of potatoes on a turnover of almost 4 billion euros in a sector that generates a trade surplus of over 500 million euros.
Producers estimate losses at 1.5 million tons, or 200 million euros.
The average yield loss is 20%, but can be over 30% or even 50% locally for rain-fed potatoes due to the extreme heat associated with severe drought that literally halted tuber development.
“On my farm near Compiègne (Oise), where I don’t have an irrigation system, the impact is very strong: production is 50% less,” one grower told AFP.
