The total Swedish harvest of table potatoes is estimated at 538 200 tonnes in 2019. This is an increase of 89 100 tonnes, which corresponds to 20 percent, compared with 2018, and 17 300 tonnes (3 percent) more than the last five-year average. Roughly 65 000 tonnes harvested as early potatoes are included in the total harvest.

Four counties dominate the cultivation of table potatoes: Skåne, Halland, Västra Götaland, and Östergötland. Together, they account for 78 percent of Sweden’s total table potato harvest.

Total harvest in Gotland County, Västra Götaland County, and Örebro County was 36 percent, 35 percent, and 32 percent, respectively, higher than last year. In Skåne County, Halland County, Dalarna County, and Östergötland County, total harvest was 17 percent, 16 percent, 15 percent, and 13 percent, respectively, higher than last year. In other counties with reported results, Västerbotten County and Norrbotten County, the difference in harvest compared with the previous year are within the margin of error.

The crop area for table potatoes, which is used for calculating the total harvest, amounted to 16 280 hectares in 2019. This area increased by 290 hectares compared with the previous year.

Total harvest of starch potatoes is 6 percent higher than the last five-year average

The total harvest of starch potatoes is estimated at 309 500 tonnes, which is 13 percent higher than in 2018 and 6 percent higher the last five-year average. The statistics include the production of starch potato for seed. Table potatoes that will be delivered for use in starch production are not included here, and are reported as table potatoes.

The cultivated area with starch potatoes decreased by 550 hectares, and amounted to 7 370 hectares in 2019. Starch potatoes are cultivated mainly in Skåne County, Blekinge County, and Kalmar County. 

A more detailed report of this survey is published in the
Statistical Report JO 17 SM 1901, which is available on the Statistics Sweden website at www.scb.se under Agriculture, forestry and fishery and on the Swedish Board of Agriculture website at www.jordbruksverket.se under Statistics.

Final results for 2019 will be reported in April 2020. These yield statistics are based on data from all forms of cultivation that occur in the country. Yield statistics for organic and conventional cultivation will be reported in June 2020.