Drought slashes Styria’s potato harvest by up to 70 percent

Styria’s potato harvest is expected to be up to 70 percent smaller this year after a hot, dry summer, ORF reports. Farmers say yields have fallen and prices have risen.

Potato plants suffered from intense sunshine and high evaporation, according to Arno Mayer of the Chamber of Agriculture. Harvests were particularly poor in areas with little rainfall. Potato fields cover about 800 hectares in Styria, which relies on supplies from Lower Austria or abroad for potatoes used for industrial purposes.

Some drought-resistant varieties are available, but farmers say they are difficult to establish in the market. Anton Trittenbrein, a farmer in the Murtal, said consumers are strongly attached to traditional variety names. He suggested promoting potatoes through quality labels such as “mainly waxy” or “floury” to make new varieties more appealing.