Heat and drought over recent months have led to Flanders’ worst potato harvest since 2018, according to the farmers’ organisation Boerenbond.
A report published on Thursday by the British climate group Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit estimated that drought has caused a loss of 3.1 million tonnes of potatoes across Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. It said the damage could cost producers between €405 million and €622 million.
Belgium is expected to record the biggest production loss, with this year’s harvest coming in 21% below the five-year average.
Boerenbond said its own figures support that estimate. Spokeswoman Tessa De Prins said yields per hectare in Flanders were running about 20% to 21% below average.
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She added that results vary widely from one field to another. Some plots are performing even worse, while others are still close to the five-year average.
Boerenbond said the poor outcome was not caused by heat and drought alone. Potato planting was also down by 23% this year. That reduction followed an exceptionally large harvest last year, which pushed prices sharply lower.
De Prins said average yields this year were expected to reach 33.6 tonnes per hectare, compared with 33.4 tonnes per hectare in 2018.
