The potato campaign in Northwest Europe is very complicated, long, and full of risks

Published Jul 3, 2024

Tridge summary

Potato plantings in northwestern Europe have been delayed and disrupted, resulting in a mixed stage of development among plants. There is an estimated increase in planting area by 4-6%, largely due to France. However, production is uncertain due to fungal issues and the low availability of fungicides. Demand from factories and increased processing capacities are balancing out declining sales of processed products. Producers are facing increased competition, especially from North America and emerging countries. Climate change, mildew resistance in new strains of Phytophthora, and the use of susceptible potato varieties for frying and chipping are making potato cultivation more risky.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

Potato plantings this year in the northwestern European countries have been late and very complicated. This spring, the sowing schedule lasted between 8 and 10 weeks, with the last sowings having been carried out a few days ago. Consequently, in the field you can see plants between full flowering and the end of tuberization and others in nascence. There are few official figures available on this year's plantings, but an increase in the area of 4-6% is being considered, according to the NEPG, an organization that brings together the potato sectors of Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium. The increase is mainly due to France. Despite the increase in cultivated area, there is much uncertainty about production. There have been many rot problems due to heavy rain, mainly in Belgium, the Netherlands and the German lund of Bavaria, with hundreds of hectares damaged. There are also no clear forecasts regarding pipes. Demand from factories across the NEPG zone and increased ...

Source: Agrodigital