Potato areas expected to increase for the 2020 harvest

The NEPG (North-Western European Potato Growers - Association of North-West European potato producers) expects a further increase in potato areas in the 5 countries. Under normal conditions this summer, there is a real risk of overproduction.

 

 

 

Over the past 5 years, the area of ​​potatoes has increased by 9% to 563,000 hectares. Although demand for the industry is increasing, and to a lesser extent, export to the fresh market, the NEPG considers that this trend is risky for the supply / demand balance.

 

 

 

In 2019, all countries were up compared to the 5-year average, with a particularly marked increase in areas in France and Belgium, while the most moderate increase was observed in Great Britain (+ 1.2% ).

 

 

 

For the last harvest, production amounted to 26.9 million tonnes, an average level. The quality in storage is quite good. In export, the trend is positive, in the average or higher than in previous years depending on the country.