In Latvia, grain was suddenly replaced by potatoes

The average potato yield in the Baltic republic last year increased to 184 centners per hectare Latvia may turn from a grain power into a potato power due to a decrease in grain yields, reports Baltijas Balss. Data from the Central Statistical Office show that the total grain harvest in Latvia last year was 2.716 million tons, which is 16.3 percent less (527.8 thousand tons) than in 2022. At the same time, the area under grain crops in the country has increased by 2.2 percent (17.2 thousand hectares) since the year before last to 797.4 thousand hectares. However, due to weather conditions, their yield was the lowest in the last five years and amounted to 34.1 centners per hectare. The total harvest of winter crops in 2023 amounted to 2.102 million tons, which is 15.7 percent (390.2 thousand tons) less than in 2022. Thus, the yield completely collapsed from 48.7 quintals to 41.3 quintals per hectare, which is the lowest figure since 2018 (41 quintals). In 2023, 614 thousand tons of ...