There is no need to expect a shortage of potatoes, says the product council

By: Trademagazin Date: 2023. 02. 24. 12:03

This year, the domestic production area of potatoes is not expected to decrease; the winter rainfall was good for the plantations, the National Potato Association and Product Council told MTI.

Based on the seed potato orders, the interest representation makes it likely that the producers will not stop their activities and that the production area will remain above 6,000 hectares. They are also confident that the extraordinary, long-lasting heat, lasting for months, will not be repeated, which was the main reason why the yield per hectare fell from the usual 40-45 tons to less than 30 tons last year.

Thus, only 144,000 tons of table potatoes were harvested in Hungary in 2022, while annual consumption exceeds 200,000 tons, and one third of the need is currently covered by imports. In the past, domestic stocks usually lasted until March-April, but this year there was hardly any left by mid-January. The drought was not good for the quality either, the potatoes could not develop evenly in the dry soil, and in other European countries they became more misshapen and blotchy than before, they added.