Czech potato harvest slashes sharply as drought drives prices up

Drought and unusually high summer temperatures have caused a substantial reduction in the Czech Republic’s potato output, according to the Czech Potato Growers Association. Josef Králíček told participants at a Havlíčkově Brodě seminar that while early-maturing varieties in Polabí and South Moravia escaped the worst of the weather, later-maturing types, especially those grown on the Vysočina plateau, may see yields fall by as much as a third.

The association also noted that the overall cultivated area for potatoes has been cut by about three percent compared with the previous year. Prices for table potatoes are now between 5.50 and 6 crowns per kilogram, roughly twice the price a year ago, and rising input costs such as fuel and wages are squeezing growers’ margins. Králíček expects further price hikes within the next two weeks as stored produce enters the market, mirroring trends already seen in Austria and Germany. He added that farmers will likely prioritize feed production for livestock over expanding potato acreage next season.