Spain: Potato acreage drops by nearly a third in 10 years

Spain’s potato acreage in 2013 was 71,100 hectares, which entails a 30.3% drop since 2004; a much lower acreage to that of countries like Germany, with 241,200 hectares; the Netherlands, with 155,800 hectares; the UK, with 139,000 hectares; or France, with 154,000 hectares. These countries have maintained their productive capacity and consider potatoes an essential part of their agricultural sectors. Spanish potato imports amounted to 600,000 tonnes and household consumption stood at around one million tonnes. This data were announced during the meeting between FEPEX’s Potato Committee, formed by producers and marketers from all Spanish regions, which will analyze the campaign’s prospects, and the Spanish Potato Forum, officially founded in October last year. (Source: Agf.nl)