Beispiellose Risiken für Kartoffelbauern: Ein Bericht von NEPG

Die nordwesteuropäischen Kartoffelbauern (NEPG) has raised alarms about the unprecedented risks faced by potato farmers this year. Late planting seasons, emergence issues, and high disease pressure have placed yields under significant threat. Despite these challenges, NEPG reports a 4-6% increase in potato planting across Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Germany.

This year, prolonged rainfall has caused unprecedented delays in potato planting across Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Germany. “The planting season averaged eight to ten weeks this spring, with the last potatoes only planted in early July,” noted NEPG. This delay has led to a wide variety of crop stages, from fields in full bloom with large tubers to freshly planted ones.

Bedenken hinsichtlich Qualität und Quantität

Durch die späte Pflanzung haben viele Saatkartoffeln ihre Keimfähigkeit verloren. Übermäßiger Regen und die Verwendung von geschnittenem Saatgut haben zu Fäulnis geführt, was insbesondere in Belgien und den Niederlanden zu erheblichen Auflaufproblemen geführt hat. Auf einigen Feldern haben sich bis zu 80 % der gepflanzten Kartoffeln nicht zu Pflanzen entwickelt. Starke Regenfälle und Überschwemmungen haben die Verluste noch weiter verschärft und verschiedene Regionen in den Benelux-Ländern und Teile Deutschlands, wie etwa Bayern, betroffen.

Es bestehen zahlreiche Unsicherheiten hinsichtlich der zukünftigen Qualität und Quantität der Ernte. Es bleibt die Frage, ob die spät gepflanzten Kartoffeln groß genug für die Verarbeitung sein werden und ob sie ein ausreichendes Unterwassergewicht erreichen werden. Darüber hinaus gab es in diesem Jahr Engpässe bei geeigneten Saatkartoffeln, was zur Verwendung weniger idealer Sorten und groß geschnittener Saatkartoffeln führte, die möglicherweise nicht den Verarbeitungsstandards entsprechen.

Probleme mit Saatkartoffeln

NEPG does not expect the seed potato issues to be resolved by the next season. While the area dedicated to seed potatoes has increased in France, it has decreased by 3% in the Netherlands compared to 2023. “Moreover, hundreds of hectares used for seed potato cultivation in the Netherlands have been heavily damaged,” NEPG stated. The organization also highlighted the uncertainty regarding tuber formation and the number of tubers.

Zunehmender Wettbewerb

Innerhalb der NEPG zone, the demand from the processing industry continues to rise, with production capacity, particularly in France, also increasing. However, the market for frozen fries and other processed potato products has recently stabilized or declined. NEPG points out that there is growing competition from North America and increasing pressure from countries like China, India, Turkey, and Argentina. “Potato growers need to consider these developments when thinking about further expansions or investments,” NEPG geraten.

These combined factors have made the risks for potato growers higher than ever before. Climate-related issues and significant disease pressures are major concerns. “With the resistance of some Phytophthora strains and reduced availability of fungicides, potato farming has become much riskier,” NEPG noted. The organization concluded that while sustainable production is expected from growers, disruptive weather patterns complicate this goal, raising many questions about the sustainable future of the potato sector.