#Agriculture #PotatoHarvest #NorthernEurope #NEPG #CropProduction #AgriculturalChallenges #FarmingEconomics
The potato harvest in Northern Europe, as documented by the North-Western European Potato Growers association (NEPG), paints a mosaic of successes and setbacks across member nations. In 2023, despite an overall increase in production to 22.7 million tons, representing a 5.1% rise compared to 2022, challenges such as unharvested or damaged tubers amounted to approximately 650,000 tons.
The total potato cultivation area within the NEPG zone expanded by 2% to 519,583 hectares, contributing to the uptick in production. Average yields per hectare also saw a modest increase of 1.4% over the previous year, reaching 43,700 kilograms.
However, these aggregate figures belie the stark realities experienced by individual countries within the region. For instance, the Netherlands witnessed a decline in yields, cultivated area, and overall production, with yields dropping by 11.5% to 41,500 kilograms per hectare, resulting in a 14% decrease in total production to 3.1 million tons.
Conversely, Belgium recorded an 18% increase in total production, reaching 4.5 million tons, attributed to a 7.9% expansion in cultivation area and improved yields per hectare.
France surpassed previous records, yielding 6.8 million tons of potatoes in 2023, marking an 11.9% increase over 2022 and a 5.7% rise compared to the five-year average from 2018 to 2022.
Germany concluded its harvest with a total of 8.1 million tons, representing a 2.1% increase over the previous year and a 1.5% rise compared to the 2018-2022 average.
Despite these varied outcomes, NEPG warns of mounting production costs and risks associated with potato cultivation, exacerbated by adverse weather conditions. The association underscores the dwindling availability of certified seed potatoes, predicting potential quality issues and a scarcity of freely available seed stock.
Moreover, NEPG highlights the challenge of meeting the escalating demand from the processing industry amidst constrained seed availability and contractual obligations. This confluence of factors may impede the industry’s ability to secure sufficient land for potato cultivation, posing a threat to future production levels.
The 2023 potato harvest in Northern Europe reflects a mixed bag of triumphs and tribulations, underscoring the need for strategic interventions to mitigate risks, enhance seed availability, and sustainably meet the growing demands of the agricultural sector.
