European Potato Plantings Increased Despite High Costs and Shortages of Seed
Across Europe, the first estimates of planted acreage from CAP returns show that many countries have seen increases despite high costs and shortages of seed.
The area in Belgium is expected to increase by 6% and in The Netherlands by 4.3%. The area in France is estimated to grow by 7.3%.
“The total area in France, Belgium, Germany, and The Netherlands could reach 550,000 ha’s, an increase of 100,000 ha’s over the last ten years,” according to the latest IFA potato report.
In Ireland, the retail potato demand and home consumption remain above average for this time of year due to the very mixed weather conditions experienced to date. New season varieties continue to come onto the market slowly, helping supply and demand. Reports on yields are mixed, with the earliest planted crop yields described as average.
“According to DAFM BISS crop figures, the area of main crop potatoes has increased by 1,000ha from last year. It is speculated that there has been a substantial increase in salad and chipping varieties within this figure,” the experts concluded.
