France: What are the latest 2023 potato production data?

Francisco Moya, president of the CNIPT, took advantage of a press point following the general assembly of the potato inter-profession on January 10 to take stock of the current potato campaign. According to the latest statements from the UNPT, the potato producers' union, the volumes produced in France in 2023 would amount to just over 6.8 million tonnes (+12.7% over one year), with areas up over one year (+2.3%) and a yield of 43.3 tonnes per hectare close to the ten-year average (43.6 t/ha announced at the beginning of September). For comparison, 6 million tonnes were produced in 2022, a year which suffered from the lowest yield in the last 25 years (at 39 t/ha). “But these figures should not make us think that production is sufficient to allow us to work with this product calmly,” warns Francisco Moya. 2023 was also characterized by capricious weather with a delay at the start of the cycle and a mild summer which allowed for some catching up. But the sorting gaps are a little ...