French potato producers describe the 2022 campaign as 'catastrophic'

Faced with a historic collapse of potato yield potential due to extreme heat and drought extreme heat and drought, the French Potato Producers Group (UNPT, for its acronym in French), calls for an immediate reaction from economic agents and public authorities to support the French production.

The latest samplings, to date, confirm the historical deterioration of the yields of the plots dedicated to potatoes by at least -20% compared to the average of the last twenty years, that is, 1.5 million tons lost ( 40,000 ha in terms of area).

This average loss could even reach -30% in the case of rain-fed potatoes, with extremes of -50% already recorded.

The harvest, which looks catastrophic despite spring planting and weather conditions suggesting a good 22-23 season, is the result of extreme heat correlated with severe drought, which literally stopped tubers from developing.

Neither the rains nor the mild temperatures that are coming will be able to reverse this trend.

French potato growers, and in particular those supplying industry and starch factories, are forecasting a very poor year. and the starch factories, therefore expect a "black" year.

In order to guarantee the economic sustainability of farms that invest very large amounts of capital in this crop and ensure planting for 2023/2024, the UNPT calls for the general mobilisation of all economic agents in the sector (industry, traders , distribution) and public authorities so that "potato growers" can pass this historic step.

The UNPT calls for the prices paid to producers to be revalued and for the added value to be better distributed, particularly with large retailers, for the volumes not delivered by producers to be contractually flexible and for a reflection to be quickly initiated on the implementation implementation of an exceptional state aid system designed to financially support producers and encourage them to continue this production.

The UNPT:
 

"Producers will not bear the responsibility alone for the exceptional losses caused by this extraordinary climatic episode."

For this reason, the UNPT requests an emergency meeting with the Minister of Agriculture to take stock of the situation sector by sector (fresh, industrial, starch) and initiate the first measures in the short and medium term that will allow France to maintain its position of world's leading exporter of potatoes, a strategic position for the defense of national and European food sovereignty.

Each day that passes without the economic agents of the sector and the public authorities giving an answer will inevitably move us away from this objective.