Acreage will be the same in the UK but Belgium will increase, up 6% compared to 2015. However, at the end of April, 40% of acreage across the EU-5 zone still had to be planted (even more in some zones such as Belgium). Due to cold weather and rainfall, there is a 2 to 3 week delay compared to an average year. Therefore, it is not certain if there will be a bigger harvest than last year. The NEPG says that it will all depend on the latest plantations and growing conditions.
Members of the NEPG have estimated that potato acreage in the 5 main producing countries (UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and France) could reach 546,500 hectares (+19,500 hectares/2015), i.e. back to the levels reached in 2010 and 2014 with an increasing industry demand.
