Hungría: A positive turn in potato production – with new challenges

The downward trend may stop

While crop production output shrank by 11% last year, the volume change of potatoes shows an increase of 3.7%. This is remarkable in light of the fact that since the record year of 2001 (900 thousand tons), potato production has rapidly decreased to below 200 thousand tons by 2022. The negative trend broke in 2023, when we harvested just under 210 thousand tons. The positive trend is also confirmed by Dr. Gerda Anikó, a plant specialist and consultant at Vitafer Hungária Kft. He adds: fortunately, there was no significant potato shortage, which may have been contributed to by the accession to the European Union in 2004 and changes in market demands. The expert believes that the current improvement may also reflect the increase in demand for domestic potatoes. (Last year’s record-breaking harvest will probably not refute the longer-term trend. The average yield is increasing, reaching 27 tons per hectare last year, meaning that the extreme weather was the main factor that took away the harvest - KZ.) At the same time, the turnaround also brought with it a significant 12.6% drop in prices . While the average producer-market price was below 200 forints 7 years ago, it is now approaching 400 forints, and even exceeded it in 2023.

Prices

In February, potato prices ranged between 230-370 forints, according to the February newsletter of the Potato Association . According to the latest report of the Institute of Agricultural Economics , in mid-January, the most common price of domestic Red-Scarlett and Laura table potatoes at the Budapest Wholesale Market decreased by 8% and 4%, respectively, compared to the same week last year. Potatoes from France were sold at 325 forints/kilogram (+8%) at the same time.

Pesticide challenges

The analyst also expects that large-scale potato growers will face another challenge in the coming years. The most important herbicide active ingredient in potatoes, metribuzin, may be used for the last time this year, which may also affect the future volume of production. – The active ingredient aclonifen can be recommended to replace metribuzin, but this pesticide can only be used pre-emergent and does not have a satisfactory effect against ragweed and crowberry species. Producers can apply for an emergency permit from the authorities. The fight against well-known insect pests (potato beetle, aphid) and potato leaf and tuber diseases has not been simplified either with the continuous withdrawal of active ingredients. However, there is a positive change in the area of ​​nutrient supply. In addition to basic fertilization, foliar fertilization can continuously satisfy the potato’s nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and microelement needs, and biostimulants can help the plant overcome stress effects - suggests the expert advisor of Vitafer Hungária Kft.