In spring it was not possible to plant in Poland until late, and the potatoes in the main crop were correspondingly late. Most recently, field crops suffered from drought and heat. The trade in Poland is already preparing for a crop failure and imports more potatoes than usual in the summer.
The acreage in Poland comes to around 300,000 hectares this year, slightly more than in the previous year. The harvest will certainly be much smaller than before.
In most parts of the country it was too dry and too hot at the beginning, irrigation there is only about 5% of the area in potato cultivation. The first crop estimates come to just 6.5 million tonnes. This is even less than in the relatively bad year of 2018 when 7.5 million tons came together. In addition, one gets to do with quality problem. The stocks of the main crop are already ripening and the tubers are far too small. Now that rainstorms as growth stimulate further, it comes to dreaded volunteers. It is also reported by late blight.
Since the Polish market with potatoes is already latently undersupplied, an extraordinary amount is imported. Suppliers are Great Britain and Romania, partly West Germany.
Poland should turn out for buyers from the Czech Republic this year. This increases export opportunities for German exporters.
