Tag Archives: North-western European Potato Growers Foundation (NEPG)

NEPG predicts increased plantings for 2018

The NEPG (North-Western European Potato Growers) organisation estimates an increase of 0.4 per cent in the planted area of its member countries compared to 2017.

In a release NEPG said that potato stocks remain high, but late planting due to adverse weather and the subsequent later arrival of early 2018 crops were expected to extend the season for last year’s crop. The group also expects to see a convergence of the market in terms of price and quality, with best samples increasing in value.

By the first week of May, continental planting had almost been completed, while around half of the UK area still had to be put into the ground. France, Belgium and Germany have planted more area, while in the Netherlands the area reduced by 2.5 per cent. Great Britain has no estimation available at the moment so the 5 years average has been used to calculate the area planted. In total 0.4 per cent more than last year, and 6.7 per cent more compared to the five-year average, has been planted. NEPG warned that this increase was not in line with the growing demand from the processing industry, and that a 4 per cent reduction in yields from the five-year average is also expected.

AHDB Potatoes pointed out that the NEPG estimates do not include data related to seed potatoes or potatoes for starch production.

Photo Caption: NEPG are forecasting a 0.4 per cent increase in potato planting this year

Photo Credit: Grimme

The post NEPG predicts increased plantings for 2018 appeared first on Hort News on 10 July 2018.

European potato production predicted to increase this year

AHDB Potatoes reports that, ‘The first potato area estimate from the North-Western European Potato Growers (NEPG) region suggests a possible increase of 3.6% compared with last season.’

According to the report, the increase would have been even larger, but was curtailed due to the restricted availability of certified seed resulting from lower crop yields last year. Most of the increase in planting has been driven by continued demand from the European processing industry.

‘It is important to note is that the GB proportion of the 2017 area estimate is based on an historical average. The NEPG area estimate is therefore likely to change as more information becomes available,’ added AHDB Potatoes. In order to foresee potential production possibilities for the NEPG region, AHDB has calculated different scenarios based on the 572,000 ha estimate. These range from 25.19 million tonnes based on historic low yields of 44 t/ha, to 29.83 million tonnes based on historic highs.

AHDB analysis suggests that if the current area estimate is realised, production is likely to increase across the NEPG area, even if the yields achieved are similar to the lows of 2012, which was an usually low yielding year. Conditions will determine final planting figures, although many countries are reported to have had ‘ideal’ conditions and made good starts.

Photo Caption: Graph showing historic and predicted planting areas

Photo Credit: AHDB & NEPG

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European potato crop below average

According to the North-western European Potato Growers Foundation (NEPG), this year’s ware harvest for the group, which includes the UK, France, Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands, will be around 24.5 million tonnes.

The figure is 14.1 per cent below last year and 2.9 per cent less than the five year average figure. It is also below NPEG’s previous forecast in June. The prediction, which is based on national sampling, suggests average yields are lower at 46.5 t/ha compared to 52.1 t/ha last year. This, coupled with a 3.7 per cent fall in area to 527,110 hectares, has resulted in reduced production.

At a national level, overall yields in Belgium show the largest declines, while much of Germany, France and the Dutch polders appear to have near average yields. NPEG said that results of crop sampling were not available for the UK the 5-year average was used in the overview. For the first time, potato acreage in Great Britain has decreased below 100,000 hectares, a drop of 7.7% compared to last season and 10.5% below the 5-year average acreage.

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