Potato quality is sometimes surprisingly good

For a moment, it seemed that the disappointing potato quality this year would be yet another ingredient for the market to deal with. However, the quality is not as bad as was previously thought. It is clear, however, that the potatoes are quite eager to sprout. So it's important to pay attention. That said, we should not downplay all the problems. There are certainly growers facing a season of lesser quality. It is no coincidence that processor Farm Frites came up with a contract amendment that caused quite a stir. Not only among growers, but also among branche advocates. Ultimately, the consumer and market authority ACM intervened, after which growers now have until Christmas to agree to the proposal. Dry harvest A (large) part of the quality issues can be traced back to the harvesting conditions. Harvesting was done under dry and sharp conditions, particularly in the south of the Netherlands and in Belgium. This certainly leads to increased risk of damage on the heavier soils. Where possible, irrigation was used to soften lifting conditions, but in practice this is more difficult than it looks. Too dry, too wet, uneven distribution, and more. Nothing replaces a shower from the sky, which unfortunately did not happen. Various theories are circulating about the increased degree of harvesting damage this year, aside from the high under-water weight. Yet it is difficult to grasp the reason behind it. One idea is that the potato crop has absorbed less potassium this year (due to the drought), negatively impacting the skin quality. Growers who dared to wait until November do have excellent harvesting quality, even though the growing season for those crops was no different. The presence of harvesting damage has also led to bacterial rot in some areas. This usually concerns small nests in the cells, but you need to turn them more than you would like. All in all, not easy. MH has worked Viaverda is monitoring 16 Flemish storage facilities this season where the variety Fontane is stored. These potatoes were harvested between late September and late October. Under dry and warm conditions, then. With one exception, all crops were treated with the sprout inhibitor MH. Residue measurements indicate that the substance was well absorbed. This is somewhat contrary to the general idea in the Netherlands, at least. Even with Fontane, typically not the most eager to sprout variety, sprouting was already detected very early. Viaverda also acknowledges that the effect of MH has been little visible so far. The researchers attribute this to several factors. To begin with, the potatoes had more growing days than, for example, last year. The tubers went into storage physiologically older because of that. There was also stress during growth due to drought and high temperatures. Because of the warm weather around the harvest, cooling after harvest was often delayed as well. This is also not favorable. Harvesters are still running Late harvesting has had a positive effect on sprouting when the temperatures were lower. However, the risk of late harvesting usually does not outweigh the benefits. Prior to the harvest, the industries collectively called for timely harvesting. However, due to the significantly delayed field season, this has not always been achieved. Even in mid-December, potatoes are still being harvested. In the south, it's going quite well. In the (northeast), it is significantly wetter, but growers usually selected the high, dry plots to leave in the ground. Not all products, however, come out of the ground. There are growers who leave their free part in the ground and use the cultivator or harrow on it. Those who prefer to have the land cleared, or for example, must use rented land, sometimes have to be creative. Mobile washing installations are being deployed to wash the product directly and make it suitable for livestock feed. This product is then stored in silos. The maize and grass silos are already full. Potatoes are also being sent for biogas production, especially when the quality is lower. Even then, the product must be free of soil. This all incurs costs that are not being compensated in the current market. Good baking quality Despite all the issues, the baking quality in the samples taken by Viaverda is excellent. Due to the high under-water weights, there is a significant risk of bruise blue, but this occurs in 5 out of the 16 batches. Sprouting occurs everywhere but is not yet a real problem. Due to the warm weather, again, it was difficult to bring the batches to their target temperature. A brief cold snap ultimately helped with that. In October, the processing yield of the Dutch factories was at 54.8%, just above the five-year average of 53.4% and generally considered good. Looking at the known quality figures, fries producers have sufficient potatoes available with good quality. Issues, such as those that arose after harvest 24, should not hinder the market in that regard.