Aiga Kraukle, Chairperson of the Board of the Union of Potato Growers and Potato Processors, informed that this year's potato harvest in Latvia is lower than the average of previous years.
The decline in yields this year depended on the meteorological conditions of the site (heat and drought) and planting time, the Colorado potato beetle severely damaged plantings. The potatoes that were planted later yielded higher yields.
Following the drought, wet weather quickly set in, the tubers deformed and cracked.
Commenting on the economic difficulties of potato growers in connection with the reduction in the quantity and quality of the crop, Kraukle pointed out that there are producers who will not be able to pay for fertilizers and plant protection products.