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The potato harvest is nearing completion. Most of the fields have already been excavated, the result is gratifying. 2020 is a very good year for potatoes. “The harvest is above average,” says Ruedi Fischer (52), president of Swiss Potato Farmers. “Even better in the east than in the west.”
Hans Gränicher (62) confirms this statement. The Berken farmer in Bern has already pulled tons of hard pods out of the ground. “The quality of the potatoes this year is very good,” he says. “That applies to almost all varieties.”
The industry is also cheering: Chipmaker Zweifel announces that it will be able to do without German imports by the middle of next year. “We assume that the potato crop yields will be good and that we will achieve a full supply of potato from the Swiss crop,” said a spokeswoman.
French fry crisis for Corona
That’s good news. Really. There is only one problem: the abundant harvest reaches full stocks. Switzerland sits on a mountain of chips. The lockdown in spring and the other corona measures have caused potato chip consumption to collapse. Restaurants were closed for weeks, big events have been banned for months. As a result, there were no fries as the fried sticks are mostly consumed outside the home. When skiing or hiking in the mountains. At the burger joint. At the Grümpi.
Bern’s traditional company, Kadi, felt the potato chip crisis to the fullest. The company is one of the three largest potato chip manufacturers in the country, along with Migros and Fenaco. Among other things, Kadi produces for Burger King and has specialized in gastronomy. Corona took off in spring. “During the shutdown, sales fell about 80 percent,” says a spokesperson. The situation has eased somewhat since May, but the level of yesteryear has not been reached.
Tons of chips are still stored in the freezer at minus 25 degrees. In Kadi, in Landi’s mother, Fenaco, in Migros. The products are durable until next year. This is why the industry is reluctant to buy too many new potatoes. For farmers, this means they can get stuck with their produce. In the worst case, thousands of tons of valuable French potatoes end up in the pig trough. In plain English, this means: Millions are crazy!
Bern Help
In normal years, overproduction is not a problem. The farmers have raised their own insurance, the recycling fund. This is a cash box that pays for fluctuations in the harvest and stabilizes the market. When it is very hot in summer and the harvest is bad, the farmer receives money. If the harvest is particularly large, like this year, and some of the expensive tubers end up as animal feed, the farmer also receives partial compensation.
The system has proven itself, but everything will be different in Corona 2020. Even with the Härdöpfel growers. One in four French potatoes is at risk of ending up in the trough, as estimated by farmer Gränicher. The fund is no longer sufficient. The goods must be stored. There are first steps in this direction, but that also costs money.
That is why discussions with the Berne federal government have been going on behind the scenes for several weeks, as confirmed by Ruedi Fischer and the Swisspatat industry association. An application due to financial difficulties was rejected at the Federal Office of Agriculture. The file is now in the Federal Department of Finance. This seeks to find solutions for “individual cases of cantonal or regional importance.”
