RIGA, Sept 30 (LETA) - This year's unfavorable weather conditions in Latvia could bankrupt some potato growers, Aiga Kraukle, chairwoman of the Potato Growers and Processors Union, told LETA.

She also stressed that it would take more than a year for farmers to recover from this year's bad situation, but the situation would differ from farmer to farmer depending on the investments made on the farm.

Kraukle said that no significant increase in potato prices in shops was expected as Europe had a good potato harvest this year. However, this is a bad sign for potato growers, who have had to spend significantly more this year due to the wet weather. Thus, in markets where farmers sell their own produce, the price of potatoes will be higher, according to Kraukle.

She also mentioned that the potato growing season is still not over and harvesting is ongoing, as the fields are still waterlogged in places and it is not possible to dig potatoes. Also, not all areas will be dug as the potatoes are already rotten in some places.

Kraukle predicted that tentatively at least 10 percent of the potatoes planted this year will not be able to be harvested, adding that after the season is over, the union will approach potato growers and estimate the unharvested potato area.

She said that there were also concerns about potato storage this year, as the potatoes were slow to mature and would need to be dried. Potatoes harvested from a wet field may rot within a few weeks, but if harvested from a less damp field, they can be stored as usual if dried well.

As reported, at an extraordinary meeting on August 5, the government declared a state of emergency in agriculture in the entire territory of Latvia until November 4, 2025 in order to overcome damage done by frosts, rains and floods this year.

That is why, at the end of September, the European Commission decided to grant EUR 4.2 million in emergency aid from the European Union to Latvian farmers to tackle the damage caused by this year's adverse weather conditions, based on information provided by the Ministry of Agriculture.