The Andalusian early new potato harvesting campaign is starting these days in the provinces of Seville - the main producer - Cordoba, and Cadiz with a slightly lower planted area than last year.
However, even though the planted area is similar, the expected production will be drastically lower as a result of climate issues. According to estimates, the production will decrease by 25 to 35%.
The current drought situation and the irrigation water restrictions will affect the farms' productivity, reducing kilos per hectare, and generating a significant lack of caliber. The high temperatures of these last days are not helping either, as they add to the effects derived from water shortages.
In addition, the sector must also take into account the damage caused by the frosts this past winter, the production losses, and -in cases in which this surface was replanted- that these new plantings will have lower productivity due to the aforementioned factors.
As a result, in this campaign, there will be more than 10,500 hectares of early potatoes in Cartagena and Western Andalusia. However, many farms in this campaign will produce less than 20,000 kilos per hectare, when the normal yield is 45,000 kilos per hectare.
According to data estimates by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Andalusia has 4,930 hectares planted with early potatoes, i.e. practically the same as in 2022, and 1,887 hectares of mid-season potatoes, a lower area than the 2,235 hectares devoted to this crop last year.
Asociafruit- the Association of Fruit and Vegetable Producers and Exporters of Andalusia - brings together 75% of the potato-producing and marketing companies in Andalusia, accounting for more than 90% of the shipments of potatoes from the Andalusian community to EU and non-EU countries.