Joachim Hasberg, secretary of the growers association for early potatoes, says that the German growers of early potatoes received positive reactions to their initiative to offer if possible from the start firm skinned potatoes. "As a result the period to sell the first very early potatoes has become shorter," Hasberg explains. In the future the growers of early potatoes will also limit the covered potato area somewhat and in this area arrive at a slightly earlier start to the harvest.
In the region Burgdorf there are about 150 potato growers who grow early potatoes on an area of about 2,700 HA. They have obtained a good position for themselves in the market with this special branch. The total potato area in Lower Saxony, however, is many times bigger. Last year the total area was about 115,000 HA. With a harvest volume of 5.2 million in the federal state of Lower Saxony, almost half of all German potatoes are grown.