Across the country, farmers are struggling to sell their chip potatoes. It is also a problem in the smallest municipality in chip land Belgium. Potato-grower Marlutje Jackers, who, in addition to growing potatoes, is also the mayor of Herstappe (Limburg), is left with a surplus of 2.5 million kilos of chip potatoes that she cannot sell. “The potatoes are worthless. What am I now supposed to do with them? I just don’t know,” she admits.
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Herstappe Mayor stuck with 2.5 million kilos of chip potatoes that nobody wants
Colin Clapson
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Belgium faces a massive potato surplus this year. This is partly due to the good harvest, but also to falling demand for Belgian fries or chips. At the moment, many farmers are left with sheds full of potatoes that are worthless. Mayor Marlutje Jackers from Herstappe is also left with a shed full.
"I’m still left with 2,500 tonnes of chip potatoes," Marlutje tells VRT. "That’s a mountain of potatoes measuring 50 by 25 metres and 4 metres high. It’s immense. I’ve never had such a huge surplus before, and I’m hearing the same from many of my colleagues. We already know that it’s only going to cost us money to clear our warehouse in time for the next harvest.”
A failed experiment
According to Marlutje, the root cause of the large surpluses lies with the industry that turns potatoes into chips. "Years ago, they asked farmers to experiment with new potato varieties because there was a shortage of seed potatoes. The quality of the chips made from these varieties was so disappointing that consumer demand collapsed. And that’s how we ended up in this situation."
"It is the farmers who are now feeling the consequences," says Marlutje. "Now when we’ve had a good harvest with plenty of potatoes, nobody wants them. Exports have virtually ground to a halt. My alarm bells are ringing, because I don’t know what to do with them. Whatever happens it will cost me money to empty my shed."
What's the solution?
Potato-growers have several options for disposing of their surplus stock. They could take their potatoes to a biogas plant or have them processed into animal feed, but this involves transport costs, and the potatoes must be washed and de-sprouted. All of these steps are costly, and given the current high diesel prices, they are not a viable option.
"We may have no other choice but to scatter the potatoes across our fields once again," says Marlutje.