Potato cultivation declining since German Reunification

The potato has been in retreat in Saxony-Anhalt since the German reunification. In 1990, potatoes were farmed on almost 73,000 hectares of land. This year, it was only 13,400 hectares, according to Heiko Thomaschewski from the State Agriculture and Gardening Office (LLG) in Bernburg on Monday. Potatoes are being grown on only 1.3 percent of farmland. “This is partly due to the fact that potatoes are no longer grown as cattle feed like they used to be in the GDR, but also because potato consumption is declining” commented Lothar Boese, an expert at LLG. Yesterday, experts from the State Office met at the Bernburger Potato Day to give advice on new developments. Source: Proplanta