Swiss agriculture is in a potato crisis
Published: Friday, Feb 23rd 2024, 15:40
Updated At: Friday, Feb 23rd 2024, 15:40
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Poor crop yields and a shortage of seed potatoes have caused a potato crisis in Switzerland. Added to this are quality deficits and constant problems in agriculture. The Swiss Farmers' Association is hoping for better framework conditions.
According to the Agricultural Information Service (LID), the director of the Swiss Farmers' Association, Martin Rufer, said at the general meeting of the Association of Swiss Potato Producers (VSKP) that politicians must ensure that production agriculture is strengthened and that production is thus promoted.
The current policy is weakening plant cultivation through the withdrawal of active ingredients and strict regulations. As a result, producers have fewer and fewer crop protection products at their disposal. According to earlier information, there is no approved insecticide against the wireworm, for example.
The difficulties in Swiss potato production are a symptom of deeper challenges within the entire agricultural and food industry, the LID reported on Friday. The shortage of high-quality plant material for sowing and the limited availability of imports have exacerbated the problem over the past three years. As a result, potato producers are already facing major problems at the start of the season.
The industry is making adjustments and looking for ways to make the best use of available resources, the report continued. Increasing the planting distance between tubers or passing on residual quantities of plant seed should maximize existing stocks.
Companies should also get involved in the production of plant seeds themselves in order to strengthen the independence of potato production, said Lukas de Rougemont, President of the Swiss Seed Producers Association Swisssem, at the VSKP members' meeting.
In the long term, the industry is aiming to develop new, more resistant potato varieties and optimize cultivation techniques, according to the LID. These measures are intended to meet challenges such as climate change.
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