The weather conditions this year have also taken a toll on Castile-Leon's potato planting campaign. The moisture is making it impossible to access the land so, as already predicted by a number of agricultural organizations, the planting should start around mid-March.
The domestic campaign is actually kicking off earlier. In fact, potatoes in Andalusia have been affected by the frost recorded in recent weeks, which, according to José Ramón Aguado, head of the Association of Potato Operators at Origin of Castile-Leon, will cause "a drop in production volumes."
As for the other areas, Cartagena has not been affected by these adverse weather conditions and Albacete has already started with the planting, as confirmed by Asopocyl. It is too early to make predictions. The truth is that the success or not of the campaign will involve many factors, including the product's export overseas.
In this regard, concerns have been raised by the likely impact on exports of the new "obligations" imposed by the United Kingdom, after detecting the presence of "epitrix" (potato flea beetles) last season in shipments from Andalusia. This warning has been issued by the UPA-COAG Alliance and Asopocyl. English law now requires those Spanish potatoes to be washed or brushed, which "will become a burden" and could also lead to saturation in the markets.
The results of the 2016 campaign will largely depend on the pace of exports and on whether the shipments can be staggered, as they usually are. The campaign has already kicked off after a 2015 with good prices, and with lower production. Plantings in Castile-Leon fell by 7.3%, with a final acreage of 18,800 hectares.
This campaign, growers are expected to recover some of the acreage. In global terms, the sector aims for a figure of around 20,000 hectares in Castile-Leon, which would entail a slight recovery of the acreage lost in 2015 after a catastrophic year for producers, as far as prices are concerned.
In fact, Asopocyl is convinced that exceeding that figure would be a "mistake." "The industry does not speculate with a product that generates so much money," states Guillermo Ruiz, head of the sector at UCCL, who also affirms that while growers study their situation, "only seed marketers are interested in any talks about good prospects or increased plantings for the new campaign."
It is also worth taking into account the unique situation in certain areas of Avila, affected by the situation of the Cogotas water reservoir, which is only at 17% of its capacity, according to data from the CHD, and which "can jeopardise" the access to irrigation this year for many crops, including potatoes. Joaquín Pino, of Asaja, has raised a warning about this, insisting on the fact that some producers have not yet signed their contracts, given their uncertainty about whether they will have access to enough water this campaign. The snow fallen in recent weeks has only slightly alleviated a situation that remains "worrying."
Source: diariodesoria.es
