Spain: Decrease in potato acreage in Castilla y León due to rising costs
Fresh Common Potato
Spain
Published Jan 18, 2022
Tridge summary
Eduardo Arroyo, president of the Association of Potato Growers of Castilla y León (Appacyl), predicts a decrease of up to 20% of the potato area in this Spanish region for the coming season. "Fertilisers cost twice as much as last year, nitrogen fertilizers even three times as much. To cut costs, growers are partly resorting to other crops such as peas or sunflowers." But the biggest problem, according to Eduardo Arroyo, is energy costs.
Original content
“The rates are up to 120% higher than last year.” Growers therefore prefer crops that require less water, such as sunflowers. Arroyo estimates the costs for planting potatoes at €8,000-8,500 per hectare compared to €6,500-7,000 last year. "That difference has to be compensated by an increase in the sales price in the contracts. If we don't get a price that can cover a significant part of that additional cost, then it doesn't make much sense to plant potatoes." "The industry is used to the occasional rise in diesel prices, but an increase of 30% in just 100 days is unprecedented," says Eduardo Arroyo. "And it doesn't look like that price will fall in 2022. It would be a grave mistake if energy prices were not regulated." Little demand for seed potatoes "The growers order few seed potatoes, because they don't know ...
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