Alemania: Historic low potato harvest seriously impacts seed, processing sectors until 2020

With only 8.7 million tons of potatoes harvested, the crop quantity reached a historical all-time low level this year, BOGK says in the release. Farming and potato processing industry experts have now confirmed a lower yield of 25 – 30 % for processing potatoes. There is also a possibility of further reduction of processing potatoes due to quality issues such as glassy structure or germination during storage.

As a result of this year’s drought it is also be expected that the crop in 2020 will be affected negatively because the seed potatoes, especially the seed potatoes for the early crop potatoes, will not be sufficiently available.

At the same time the demand for processed products is very high, a significant price increase in comparison to average harvests is already expected as it can be seen in the stock-exchange prices.

With present information it is furthermore most likely that a continuous supply with potatoes in good quality until next seasons crop is not secured, according to BOGK.

The German Association of the Fruit, Vegetable and Potato Processing Industry represents the sixth largest economic sector of the German food industry. To ensure safe production and healthy food, approx. 20.000 people work in almost 120 companies. BOGK is their representative, an information provider and facilitator towards politics, media and other economic sectors.

The Aim of BOGK is, in terms of its members, to have an active influence on current legislative projects regarding food law as well as agricultural economics, foreign trade and environmental policy.

Source: German Association of the Fruit, Vegetable and Potato Processing Industry