Spain (Castile and León): Potato campaign kicks off with good yields

The first potato harvests are beginning in Castile and León, while in other regions such as Andalusia and Cartagena, the final stages of the crop are already in progress. Harvesting of this first early potato crop has begun on time in Castile and León, despite a few months marked by continuous rains since planting.

Good yields in Castile and León

Potatoes from Castilla y León always stand out for their quality, and this season was no different. "The quality is very satisfactory and consistent," says Juanma Coello of Patatas Meléndez. This region is the main potato producer in Spain and accounts for around 40% of the national production.

Regarding yields, "we’re above 50 tons per hectare, and we’re very satisfied with the quality and production," Coello adds.

The campaign has begun with the harvest of the Colomba variety. Despite the continuous rains that have kept farmers very alert, as Coello acknowledges, "a few days ago, the last storm gave us quite a scare." Despite this, they generally expect a good harvest.

Downtown area

In other regions such as Albacete, Toledo, and Madrid, Eduardo Ramos, manager of Patatas Gómez, explains that they are already "finishing the campaign and it has gone quite well; in terms of quality and yield, we have a good harvest."

Cartagena

In other parts of the national landscape, such as Cartagena, "there wasn’t much optimism because we’re behind, but even so, we’re having a campaign with normal performance," Ramos acknowledged.

Currently, we can talk about a yield of "around 40,000 kilos or so," says Ramos. He also tells us that "the demand for fresh produce is increasing, and although there is still some stockpiled, there is a lot of demand for new produce," he acknowledges.

The other side of the coin, according to Javier Amutio of Patatas Amutio, is that "there is a lot of production and exports are at a standstill. We have a significant collapse in potato production right now, but despite this, quality and production are good."

Demand for potatoes in Spain is significant, both for domestic consumption and export, although the foreign market has declined slightly in recent years.

Currently, "90% of this potato’s production remains domestic," says the manager of Patatas Gómez.

Regarding quality, "we are happy; both the Colomba and Soprano varieties have improved compared to previous years." As for price, "we are looking at a level of 35-40 cents per kilo," although it is true that "this will be a year in which average prices will be established; they shouldn’t vary much so that all parties in the distribution channel can have a good year," Ramos points out.  

In Andalusia, a heterogeneous campaign

If we continue to look at the national outlook, the last gasps are already in the Andalusian region. There, the campaign hasn’t been what was expected, as Juan Manuel Coello of Patatas Meléndez comments. Continuous rains have marked the season. "The quality has been very uneven; the storms flooded many plots and severely damaged the produce." Regarding quality, "it has been very uneven and there has been a significant drop in production," Coello notes.

Canary Islands, good yields

In the Canary Islands, the campaign is already coming to an end. "We haven’t finished yet because there’s a labor shortage, which is why we’re already a few days behind." Despite this, they’re also seeing "good yields, between 40,000 and 60,000 kilos per hectare," says farmer Armando Rodriguez.

"The harvest has been better than other years, among other reasons because it was planted later," Rodríguez acknowledges. Regarding the size and quality, "we are happy; it was a good harvest. The problem here is the costs and labor. We have very small plots and no machinery, so everything is a bit more complex," the farmer concludes.