Spain: Udapa promotes potato cultivation, boosted by generational change
Udapa maintains its 350 hectares thanks to the new incorporations of young farmers. In total, seven farmers have decided to invest in potato production with the help of the cooperative.
The measures Udapa has implemented over the past few months to boost potato cultivation in the region and assist in generational renewal within the primary sector have already begun to bear fruit. In this latest campaign, despite the retirement of some of its members, the cooperative has managed to maintain its 350 hectares of crops in Álava thanks to the new additions of young producers.
A total of seven farmers have decided to invest in potato production with Udapa, a remarkable number considering the current difficult situation in the sector. Furthermore, two of these young farmers have taken over the family farm after their parents’ retirement; while four others are under 30 years old.
With the launch of these new collaborations, one of the cooperative’s main goals for this campaign has been achieved: increasing the area dedicated to seed potatoes. "We’ve gone from having between 45 and 50 hectares to over 60, which helps us strengthen our strategic project to promote the production of high-value potato crops in Álava," explains a satisfied Sara Martínez, an agricultural engineer in the R&D Department of Udapa S.Coop.
One of the main measures the cooperative has already implemented to make this crop more attractive to young people is to assist them with the more detailed tasks by providing their services. "This has been the first campaign in which we have begun working with the latest generation seeder that Udapa recently acquired. We are also awaiting the arrival of the two-row harvester, which will also provide service to our members and collaborators during the harvest," explains Martínez.
Delay in sowing
Although the health of both the plants and the tubers has been optimal so far, it’s worth noting that the incessant rains of the first few months of the year have delayed planting by about a month. "While the usual planting date in the province is mid- to late April, this year it has started as early as May 15, in some cases as late as June 5," says Martínez.
Obviously, this delay in planting will also mean that harvesting will be delayed, and according to Martínez, the yield of the plots will likely also be affected. Even so, the cooperative hopes that the culinary quality of the Álava potatoes will be as exceptional as in previous years.
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