Poland ranks as the third-largest carrot producer in the European Union, trailing behind Germany and France. However, recent years have witnessed a downward trend in its carrot production, largely attributed to water shortages. The correlation between significant production declines and drought events is evident, with climate change-induced droughts hitting Poland in 2015 and almost annually since 2018, impacting carrot yields. From producing 827,000 tons of carrots in 2017, the figures plummeted to 580,000 tons by 2023, marking a near 30% decrease over six years.
Data from ARiMR in 2023 highlights that 290 thousand farmers reported drought-related losses, with 139 thousand of these instances involving losses exceeding 30% of the farm's average annual plant production. The looming threat of climate change on food security is underscored by these trends, as drought conditions exacerbate the challenges in agricultural production, including carrot cultivation.
The repercussions of drought, coupled with inflation and surging energy costs, have translated into higher carrot prices for Polish consumers. The price per kilogram escalated from PLN 2.79 in 2021 to PLN 4.99 in 2023. To mitigate the shortfall in domestic production, Poland has turned to imports, particularly from Egypt and Germany, despite the varying quality of the imports. The volume of carrot and turnip imports from Germany saw a 50% increase in 2022 over the previous year, with overall carrot imports to Poland surging by 60% in 2023. Producers acknowledge the significant impact of weather and climate conditions on vegetable quality and production, with prolonged dry spells posing substantial challenges to cultivation and necessitating specialized farm practices to maintain output and quality.
( PLN 1 = €0.23 )
Source: agroberichtenbuitenland.nl