As temperatures rise, more and more organic potato growers can be seen in the fields. Once the fields are accessible and the soil structure and temperature are right, it's time to lay the groundwork for the new harvest starting in summer 2026 by planting. Conditions are currently favorable in many areas, so work is progressing quickly.
In addition, organic farmers have prepared for a long storage season extending into early summer. "The cold storage facilities currently still house many loads suitable for retail, under the careful supervision of the producers. We expect that organically grown potatoes from local farms will be available until the start of the new season in the Palatinate. Now we hope that the retail chains, as partners of the agricultural sector, will support this goal, just as they have in previous years. Last fall, a leading retailer confirmed in a public statement that producers in this region can count on the support of the retail sector. We are naturally delighted by this! We hope that both the broader food retail sector and specialty organic retailers will join us in this common goal," emphasizes Josephine Hardt (pictured below), Managing Director of Bio Kartoffel Erzeuger e.V.
© Bio Kartoffel Erzeuger e.V.
Commitment to local organic farming
Especially in a year with very good harvest yields, cooperation between agriculture and the retail sector is of the utmost importance for organic potato farms. "Many retail chains continue to stock the organic potatoes from local farms. For producers, this represents a commitment to local organic farming—something we've fought for over many years. Now we hope that the shared goal of providing locally grown organic potatoes 365 days a year will continue to be pursued in the coming weeks. The produce for this is already available in the producers' cold storage facilities!"
Bio Kartoffel Erzeuger e.V. (BKE) is an interest group representing over 250 organic farms across Germany, which cultivate approximately 45% of the country's organic potato acreage and a good 65% of the organic onion acreage. "The future of organic potatoes is still difficult to predict at this time. Much remains to be seen at the start of planting, and speculations about the new season are not appropriate at this time," said Hardt.
For more information:
© Bio Kartoffel Erzeuger e.V.
Josephine Hardt
Bio Kartoffel Erzeuger e.V.
[email protected]
www.bke-verein.de
