INDUSTRY’S AUTUMN GATHERING: POTATOES ARE STILL IN GROUND BUT EARLY ESTIMATES ARE GOOD, WHILE NEW EU DIRECTIVE IS THE SOURCE OF MUCH DEBATE
THE 71st International Potato Autumn Fair, organised by the German Potato Trade Association (DKHV), brought together representatives from the entire potato industry in Hamburg this week.
While general mood was generally positive owing to the forecast large harvest of 12.7 million tons of potatoes, but there are still many potatoes in the ground and uncertainties such as weather influences, disease pressure and quality issues could still reduce the marketable quantity.
DKHV President Herkenrath described conditions for potato cultivation this year as “extremely challenging”.
He said: “There was already unusually high rainfall across Germany in the spring. In some places, the soil was so wet for so long that the last plantings could not be completed until mid-June. Nevertheless, many tubers were successfully planted under optimal conditions.
“In some regions, areas were severely damaged by flooding and persistent rainfall. The wet weather in spring, which lasted well into May, led to increased pressure from diseases throughout the country, particularly late blight. We are concerned about the increasingly restrictive political requirements for crop protection, which are making it more and more difficult to combat diseases and pests.”
Seventeen exhibitors and 140 people attended the event. DKHV President Thomas Herkenrath, Heide Potato Queen Paula I and State Councillor Andreas Rieckhof from the Ministry of Economy and Innovation of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg welcomed them to the event.
In his keynote speech, ‘Protecting the Digital Harvest from Pests: Cybersecurity in the Potato Trade’, Dr. Christoph Endres, a computer scientist and AI researcher, emphasised the growing importance of cybersecurity in the digitised supply chain and trading processes. He highlighted that the threat of cyberattacks is significantly increasing in the agricultural and food industries. The presentation offered valuable insights into typical threat scenarios for the potato trade, along with practical tips for securing sensitive data and systems—captivating the audience.
The new EU directive on ensuring high levels of network and information security (NIS-2), requiring many companies to implement preventive security measures from October 18th, sparked intense discussions and continued to be debated throughout the evening.
DKHV President Herkenrath thanked all members, whose commitment makes the active life of the association possible in the first place.
“For a long time, a potato harvest similar to last year’s was expected, despite a 9% increase in acreage. However, the yields determined from representatively selected sample areas for the BMEL’s Special Harvest and Quality Assessment (BEE) assume a record potato harvest of 12.7 million tons with a calculated yield of around 44 tons per hectare.
“The BMEL itself points out that this figure could still change. This is partly due to the fact that only 46% of the almost 700 sample areas have been evaluated so far. As many other areas still have to be cleared in addition to these areas, it is still too early at this stage to make a final assessment of the overall situation in terms of harvest volume and available qualities. The regional differences between yields are also enormous.
“This gross value therefore says little about the actual harvest expectations for the individual processing directions. Ultimately, the quality and stability of our stocks are decisive for the quantities that will be available for marketing in the coming months.”
The focus is now on the International Berlin Potato Evening which will take place on February 4th in Berlin.
Photo: Dr. Schwarz, Paula I, Dr. Endres, Rieckhof, Herkenrath.
