Europe is facing adverse weather conditions and as a result European processors of canned, frozen and dehydrated vegetables in major producing countries are very concerned over this year’s spring and summer crops. Northern Europe has been impacted by heavy rains and severe flooding in important production areas for vegetables in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and parts of Germany.
Belgian producers have already reported damages that cannot be restored. Around one third of the production of spring-spinach and summer-cauliflower is lost due to the wet weather. In France, the spinach-crop, the delayed harvest from peas and the seeding of beans are particularly impacted. In the north west of Germany 20% of the area where leafy vegetables (such as spinach) and herbs are grown was damaged so severely by heavy rain that a harvest has become impossible.
The heavy rains, in combination with the low temperatures and humid conditions, means that fungal-diseases threaten surviving vegetable crops. Application of plant protection treatments cannot be carried out in the affected areas because of the wet soil condition preventing access to the fields.
Due to the irregular and unpredictable precipitations it is too premature to predict the overall losses of summer vegetable crops, but given the current meteorological conditions and the weather forecast for the coming period, the impact could be profound.
For more information:
Aline Rutsaert
Profel
Tel +32 2 761 16 56