agribusinessreview.comMAY 20258OPINIONIN MY 1. Climate changesIn recent years, potato producers in Romania have faced increasingly difficult climate changes. For example, in 2021, the production of one hectare of potatoes was at least 40% lower compared to 2020, primarily due to a delayed and extremely atypical season, with fluctuations between periods of excess humidity and drought, between cold periods with late frosts and hot summer. 2023 reminds us that potato production is getting more difficult, risky, expensive, and stressful. Low yields due to weather conditions (late planting, dry and very hot July, too heavy rains in August) up to -50 % in selected areas. This will get a lower quality (low starch content -4% vs. 2022), and we are expecting higher warehousing losses and a higher processing factor. Under these conditions, the sharp decline of this culture will continue, and we will be more and more dependent on imports, which in 2021 exceeded 75% of the potatoes needed for consumption.The potato situation for seed multiplication is even worse because farmers are no longer motivated to produce seed because of the high costs and the risk to which the THE MAIN CHALLENGES OF ROMANIAN FARMERS PRODUCING POTATOESBy Alex Lazar, Agricultural Manager, Intersnack RomaniaAlex Lazar
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