Netherlands: Potatoes are early, yield seems average
Potatoes are extremely early this year, but yields are still average. This can be concluded from various harvest estimates and trial harvests.
The third test harvest by Dutch potato processor Aviko yielded just under 55 tons per hectare. This is the highest yield for a comparable week in seven years. The yield is also slightly higher than in 2022, when high yields were also recorded early on.
Trial harvests by potato organizations in Belgium indicate an average harvest based on a comparable number of growing days. Sampling at the end of July for the Fontane variety yielded an average of 30 tons in the 50-millimeter-upward size. Relatively few tubers were counted per plant.
The Agreste statistics office of the French Ministry of Agriculture is currently targeting a yield of 42.4 tons per hectare for mid-season and storage potatoes. This means production is 0.5 tons lower than last year. A substantial increase in the area under cultivation means this year’s harvest forecast will increase by 13 percent to almost 8.3 million tons.
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