Comparing it with the previous year, the French area covered with cultivars in 2021 totaled 153,840 ha, in fact, a contraction of -3%, according to the latest press release from the Union Nationale des Producteurs de Pommes de Terre (UNPT).

On the other hand, based on the intel released by the UNPT’s analysts, the 2021 national average gross yield is 44.1 tons/hectare, a higher tonnage than the 2020 one (+0.5 tons/hectare) and the average over five years (2016-2021, +1.0 tons/hectare).

“For the Panel UNPT area, the gains are similar, given the strong representativeness of its surfaces. The average over the five basins surveyed is nevertheless higher with 45.5 tons/hectare,” UNPT’s representatives added.

At the moment, French production of ware potatoes amounts to 6,78m tons this year, against 6,91m tons in 2020, i.e. a decrease of -1.9% in one year, and an increase of +10.1% comparing it to the five-year average.

“The 2021 harvest was characterized by a high rate of physiological accidents (hollow hearts, green, crevices, etc.), and/or damage from pests (wireworms, slugs, etc.). Net appreciation marketed (quantity recovered) will therefore be even more important this year for producers, especially in fresh,” UNPT’s experts concluded.