Potato harvest in northwestern Europe grows along with costs

Published Dec 12, 2024

Tridge summary

The potato harvest in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium increased by 6.6% in 2024, reaching 24.6 million tonnes, as reported by the Northwest European Potato Growers Association. Germany saw the largest increase (8.9%) in production, while Belgium experienced a 2.7% decline. Despite increased production, the average yield dropped by 600 kilograms to 43.8 tonnes per hectare due to various factors. The industry faces rising production costs, expected higher storage costs, and increased costs for agricultural machinery and equipment. Challenges include the emergence of new pests, the ban on certain plant protection substances, and difficulties in obtaining seed potatoes and renting land.

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

Original content

The potato harvest in four of the major producing countries in the European Union – France, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium – increased by 6.6% this year compared to 2023 to 24.6 million tonnes, the Northwest European Potato Growers Association (NEPG) announced. Of these, the largest was produced in Germany – an increase of 8.9% compared to last year to 9.2 million tonnes, while only Belgium reported a 2.7% decline in the harvest. The positive result was recorded despite a drop in yields, which averaged 43.8 tonnes per hectare – 600 kilograms below the average result for the last 5 years. However, yields fluctuated in a wide range between 20 and over 70 tonnes per hectare. The highest average yields were in France – 45.4 tonnes per hectare, or 5% above last year’s result, while in Belgium they decreased by 7% compared to 2023 to 42.8 tonnes per hectare. The decline in yields was offset by a surplus from the expansion of the areas planted with the vegetable, by 7.2% compared ...

Source: Sinor