Belgium: Potato producers are relieved

For a moment, it seemed as if the doomsday scenario was coming true, but this weekend potato producers can finally feel relieved. “At last the weather conditions were in our favour and we could start the harvest. We were beginning to wonder if it would ever rain again. Although, I think it has rained enough for now,” says Bart Nemegheer of the Aardappelhoeve, laughing. “The best weather for the harvest is cloudy but not too cold.” Everyone has immediately started harvesting with all the manpower they can get. Everything has to get out of the ground, preferably in record time. The temperatures are all right now and there is not too much rain, so everything is good. The weather should be dry for the harvest, because that is not possible when it is raining. If the temperature remains fine, it seems as if we can still get a large volume out of the soil. It is quite logical that the producers were afraid. The chance to actually harvest the potatoes got smaller and smaller and every day the weather remained dry. Besides, near the end of October, there is a much larger chance of night frost. Many producers had sleepless nights; there is a lot of money in the ground.” (Source: FreshPlaza)