NEPG: Potato Area North-western Europe expected to decrease 2.5%

NEPG: Potato Area North-western Europe expected to decrease 2.5%
May 10, 2015
As had been speculated for a while in the media, the North-western European potato area is estimated to decrease by 2.5% to 530,000 hectares in the coming season.

During a recent NEPG presentation the representatives of all 5 NEPG countries indicated they expected a decrease in area. For Great Britain it was just slightly too early to estimate. This is why the NEPG assumed the area of the past season for this country.

Based on the 5 year average of 47.2 tonnes per hectare the total harvest should be 25.2 million tonnes, 11.6% less than in the previous year. Due to this potential production there is the risk that acceptable prices cannot be guaranteed for growers. The NEPG emphasises that the eventual harvest can have more effect on the total production than the area. The planting is slightly behind schedule.

In all countries there is a movement from traditional varieties to varieties specifically for processing with a potentially higher yield.

  2014 2015 Actual vs last year 5 year avg 2015 vs 5-year-avg (%)
annual increase /decrease 17.8% -11.6%      
Production (in 1.000 ton)28.507 25.206 - 11,6% 25.223 -0.1%
Acreage 5747.033 533.616 -2.5% 533.819 -0.0%
Yield (ton/ha) 52,1 47,2 -9,4% 47,2 0,1%
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