CEE: The tough road for European potato growers in 2024

However, much of this year’s harvesting occurred under challenging and costly conditions. Some of the crop, impacted by summer quality issues or difficult harvest conditions, deteriorated quickly in storage, requiring evacuation within days or weeks. Despite these challenges, the overall quality of the harvest is satisfactory.

The 2024 average yield of 43.8 t/ha is 0.6 t/ha below both the five-year average (44.4 t/ha) and last year’s yield (44.4 t/ha). Yields across the NEPG zone varied significantly, ranging from less than 20 t/ha to more than 70 t/ha, primarily depending on planting dates.

The total EU-04 planted area increased by 36,000 hectares (+6.9%), raising total production by 6.5% to 24.6 million tons (+1.5 million tons).

Simultaneously, processing demand has also increased, further straining the supply chain.

Higher production costs, both in the field and during storage, added pressure on growers. In 2024, production costs surpassed those of 2023, increasing by at least €1,000/ha on average, with some cases significantly exceeding this amount. This is particularly true where additional seed handling processes, such as cutting, chitting, drying, and cooling, were required before planting, and where late blight control became more expensive. Storage costs this season are also higher, compounded by rising building and machinery expenses.

Potato farmers now face multiple new and intensified challenges. The extreme late blight pressure necessitates the use of two or more compounds per spray, as resistant and new strains have emerged. Additionally, the loss of some active ingredients and a prolonged planting and harvesting season have created further difficulties. New issues, such as the spread of Stolbur phytoplasmas in various growing regions, add to the complexity and cost.

Seed availability, largely controlled by the processing industry, and increasing difficulty securing leased land annually, exacerbate these challenges. Growers are navigating an increasingly precarious landscape, with rising risks and escalating costs threatening the sustainability of potato farming in the region.