The European Commission (EC) has said that potato planting in the North-Western European Potato Growers (NEPG) region has progressed well throughout April with fieldwork well advanced in Germany and the Netherlands, where dry conditions since late February allowed for an early start. France and Poland also benefited from favourable weather in March.
However, market intelligence service Expana also stressed that the EC reported that an ongoing rainfall deficit had left soil moisture low in several key regions – including Poland, Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands – raising concerns about crop emergence and early development. In contrast, excessive rainfall in Portugal and Spain has delayed planting.
In Romania, fieldwork began on schedule but has since been interrupted by cold temperatures, with early April frost potentially affecting initial plantings. Reports also indicate an increase in planted area in both the Netherlands and Spain compared to 2024.
Expana’s Harry Campbell added, ‘Market players share the EC’s concern that persistent dry weather could impact potato growth and yield potential in the north-west later in the season. That said, it remains early in the crop cycle. With most planting now complete across the NEPG region; the industry currently expects an earlier harvest.
Expectations of a larger crop and earlier harvest contributed to a sharp decline in Expana Benchmark Prices (EBPs) over April in both the Netherlands and Belgium. As of 8 May, the EBP for Dutch processing potatoes stood at €140/metric tonnes (MT) down 36.4 per cent month-on-month, and down 62.7 per cent year-on-year.
Closer to home, the Environment Agency convened a meeting of the National Drought Group on Wednesday 7 May 2025, after the UK experienced the driest start to spring in 69 years. This has resulted in an earlier than normal start to the irrigation season and many farmers and growers have seen increased demand on their on-site storage reservoirs.
NFU deputy president, David Exwood, commented, “The dry conditions and lack of any substantial rainfall has meant farmers in some parts of the country have started to irrigate crops much earlier than normal. The extreme weather patterns we have experienced over the past few years are impacting our ability to feed the nation.”
