The recent prognoses for potato acreage from the AMI in Germany report a decrease in acreage of 7.2% in comparison to 2011: -4.4% for potatoes for consumption, -7.5% for starch potatoes and -8% for potatoes used in the processing industry. This is the first time that Germany will have less than 100,000 hectares of potatoes for the fresh produce market, 20,000 hectares less than in 2004.
These German figures contribute to the acreage decrease of 6% in the NEPG-countries. This is 32,000 hectares less than last year. According to the European project Mars, there are 6.5 million tons less of potatoes in the European Union than in 2011 and this year's harvest will not reach more than 55 million tons.