Netherlands: Drought Cuts Ware Potato Yields by 962 kg/ha a Year, Audit Office Finds
The Dutch Court of Audit finds that drought cut ware potato yields by 2.1% a year on average over 1998–2023. That equals 962 kg per hectare and €14–35 million of lost output.
Drought has cost Dutch ware potato growers about 2.1% of their yield every year. The finding comes from the Netherlands Court of Audit (Algemene Rekenkamer). The office published a report on freshwater policy on 3 September 2026. Farm outlet Boerenbusiness analysed the crop data on 15 September.
The audit covers 26 years, from 1998 to 2023. It looks at potatoes, onions, cereals and sugar beet.
Losses per hectare and in euros
A 2.1% average annual loss equals 962 kg less potatoes per hectare. In 2023 Dutch growers planted 73,313 hectares of ware potatoes. Across that area, drought removed about 70.5 million kg of potatoes in one year.
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The report values this loss at €14 million to €35 million. The range reflects 2023 prices of €0.20 to €0.50 per kg, according to Boerenbusiness. Losses differ by province. They range from about 1.0% to 2.1% per year.
Other crops also lose yield in dry years. According to the analysis, onions lose 1.1% to 2.7% a year. Cereals lose 0.9% to 2.1%. Sugar beet loses 1.5% to 1.6%.
Water measures run late
The audit also reviews the Delta Programme for freshwater. Nearly three quarters of the phase 1 measures are delayed. Measures for the main water system run about three years late on average. Regional measures run 2.4 years late, according to Boerenbusiness.
Costs have also grown. Phase 1 had a budget of €365 million. Actual spending reached €513 million. That is 40% above plan.
Climate scenarios point to more pressure. By 2050, potential evaporation may rise by 6% to 9%. The rainfall deficit from April to September may grow by 13% to 35%. Summers now called extreme could become normal.
The 2026 season shows the risk. Market analysts at DCA estimate the Dutch ware crop at about 3 million tonnes. That is 27% less than last year.
Why it matters
The audit puts a firm number on a cost that growers usually absorb quietly. A loss of almost one tonne per hectare each year adds up over a crop rotation. It also weakens the case for dryland potato growing on light soils.
The delays in water measures matter for storage and processing too. Processors need stable volumes. Irrigation access, water rights and soil moisture will shape contract terms and plant sourcing in the coming years.
Photo: A potato field below a dike in Friesland, the Netherlands (illustrative). Dominicus Johannes Bergsma / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
