According to a recent press release, the National Union of Potato Growers of France (UNPT) has forecasted that potato acreage in the country will grow this year, despite difficulties in finding seed potatoes. To ensure this end result, the UNPT advises growers to ensure that they are able to supply both the quantity and quality that they buyers demand.

The organization also drew attention to the fact that growers should sign contracts with their buyers so that they are assured of a reasonable payment. To help in this respect, the UNPT has created a standard contract that potato growers can access.

What’s more, the official body warned that there are some draft contracts in circulation that come with high risks for the growers, as was seen in the 2018/2019 season when yields fell sharply as a result of dry weather conditions. This has resulted in many growers being forced to buy potatoes in order to meet the contracts with their buyers.

In related news, UNPT also announced it has updated its weather insurance platform which was developed in partnership with Meteo Protect and provides farmers with resilience against climate and weather-related risks.

Now, UNPT members can access the web platform provided by Meteo Protect to request a quotation for insurance adapted to their specific needs. Since everything is online, farmers can actually track their insurance contacts in real-time, therefore being able to know in real-time what the outcome of an event will be.

Moreover, the choice of weather references has been greatly expanded thanks to continuously-growing expertise and the obtaining of even more precise data. Growers can now select their weather policy specifications within a radius of 1km around their potato plots.