Imported potatoes await us? Hungarian ones might disappear?

Climate change is already drastically transforming domestic potato cultivation. Due to warmer summers, decreasing rainfall, and the emergence of new pests, fewer areas are suitable for growing this important food crop. According to researchers from ELTE and MATE, in the coming decades, Hungarian potatoes could completely disappear from domestic lands – unless emissions are effectively mitigated and adaptation to the new conditions is achieved. Potatoes are a sensitive crop: they require a cooler, wetter climate, which Hungarian summers can hardly provide. Hungary lies on the climatic boundary for cultivation, so rising temperatures particularly affect the plant. According to the study by the Department of Meteorology at ELTE and the Department of Agronomy at MATE, July temperature is the most important factor for the successful development of potatoes. In the past two decades, the number of warmer years has significantly increased, drastically reducing yields. While nearly 800 ...