Spain: Heatwaves Cut Potato Yields in Castilla y León by 15–20% as Growers Plant About 15% Less Area
Potato growers in the Spanish region of Castilla y León have planted about 15% less this year. Yields are 35–40 tonnes per hectare instead of the usual 45–46, according to the regional growers' association.
Potato growers in the Spanish region of Castilla y León have planted about 15% less area this season. Yields are also down. Heatwaves have reduced them to 35–40 tonnes per hectare, compared with a normal 45–46 tonnes. That is a fall of 15–20%.
The figures come from the president of the regional potato growers’ association, Eduardo Arroyo. He also chairs the regional potato interprofessional body. He spoke to the farm news site Agrodigital and to FreshPlaza Spain on 23 September.
According to him, the smaller area is a result of the poor end of the previous season. Prices were so low that some lots were never harvested. The association puts the usual area in the region at about 19,500 hectares and the fall at about 2,850 hectares. Earlier regional reports gave a different starting area, so the absolute numbers should be treated with caution.
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Arroyo explained how the heat hurt the crop. According to him, a potato plant under heat stress goes into a “defence mode” and stops using water. Each heatwave stops growth for three to five days. In a growing cycle of 90 to 120 days, those days cannot be recovered. He said that one early variety was hardly affected: Colomba.
About 65% of the area had been harvested by the time of the interview. The processing and winter varieties should be lifted by the middle or the end of October. Two of these varieties are Agria and Babilon. Plant health is very good, because the air was dry and hot. However, the tubers are smaller than usual.
In León province, the regional price exchange opened the new season on 23 September at €310–360 per tonne. Our report on the opening prices of the León potato exchange was published on 24 September.
Why it matters
A smaller area and lower yields reduce the supply of Spanish potatoes for storage and processing. This comes at a time when harvests in north-west Europe are also short. For growers, the season shows the cost of heat stress. Early varieties that finish growth before the hottest weeks may become more attractive in the region.
Photo: Potato field in Benifaraig, Huerta de Valencia, Spain (not Castilla y León) (illustrative). Juan Emilio Prades Bel / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
