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Delays mark potato planting in northwest Europe
All countries
Tuesday 16 July 2024
VU
The NEPG warns of unprecedented risks for potato producers, derived from climate change, high pressure from diseases such as mildew, resistance to fungicides of new strains of Phytophthora and the shortage of fungicides
Potato growers in northwestern Europe have faced a late and difficult start to planting this year, extending from 8 to 10 weeks and ending recently. In the fields, plants are in various stages of development, from full flowering to nascence.
The NEPG, which brings together the potato sectors in Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium, reports an increase of 4-6% in the cultivated area, with France leading this expansion. However, production is plagued by uncertainties due to rot problems caused by heavy rains, affecting hundreds of hectares in Belgium, the Netherlands and Bavaria, Germany.
Although factory demand and processing capacity are increasing, especially in France, sales of frozen French fries and other processed products have shown signs of stabilizing or declining. Competition in the market intensifies with North America and emerging markets such as China, India, Turkey and Argentina, complicating future planning for producers.
The NEPG warns of unprecedented risks for potato producers, derived from climate change, high pressure from diseases such as mildew, fungicide resistance of new strains of Phytophthora and the shortage of fungicides. These conditions, together with the use of varieties susceptible to diseases that require intensive treatments, significantly increase the risks in potato cultivation.
fuente: agrodigital.com
