Potato yields vary by grower but are worse than hoped, admitted Rasmus Kolberg, a board member of the potato farming cooperative Eestimaa Kartul.

"Our people haven't really started harvesting yet," he said, noting that farmers are still hoping for their yields to improve despite difficult conditions. "We don't have a clear picture yet, but the harvest is definitely half as big as planned."

Southern and Central Estonia saw heavy rains this spring, drowning potatoes and negatively impacting germination. Kolberg added that aggressive late blight also spread when fields were too wet to treat in time.

Eestimaa Kartul has eight members, spread from Jõgeva Municipality in the north to Veriora in the south, and all are battling moisture problems. Some farmers are giving up on potatoes after several difficult years. Market volatility and aging growers also play a role, Kolberg added.

Estonia's market is small, and foreign potatoes put heavy pressure on local producers. For consumers, the board member said, little will change — but for producers, the outlook is difficult.

He noted that Estonia's domestic potato supply, already now around 50 percent, is certain to decline.

"Stores are replacing local potatoes with imports when producers start asking for more money," Kolberg said. "Currently, things are tough: consumers' pockets are light, and stores are savvy at keeping products on the shelves while keeping prices from going up."

While people say all prices are going up, he continued, that doesn't include potatoes.

"Comparing open-market prices is arbitrary," Kolberg explained. "Comparing the markets in Nõmme and Tartu, volumes there have only declined over time. Fewer customers shop there, so of course you have to ask for more."

Store prices, meanwhile, haven't increased, even though input costs for growers have gone up. "Everything has just gotten harder for potato farmers over time," he added.

Organic grower sees crop failure, but plans to continue

In Võru County, Leese Mahe organic farmer Alo Abiline said his crop has essentially failed.

"There are several factors involved, but the main factor was a colder spring, which delayed planting — in my case, by two weeks," Abiline said. A cooler period followed, slowing potato growth, "and after that, the rain started."

The rain-soaked fields were too soft and wet to allow for maintenance with a tractor, and because the potatoes were planted later, they didn't have time to fully develop before the late blight arrived.

"Right now, we have seed potatoes and small potatoes, but practically no marketable ones," Abiline acknowledged. "I'll take as much seed as I need, but otherwise it's a total crop failure."

Others across Southern Estonia are likewise reporting undersized tubers. Abiline said soil choice would help farmers manage wetter or drier seasons, but despite the setback, he intends to continue.

"Demand is very high," he said. "I've ended up short every year. In Southern Estonia, childcare institutions want local organic food. I'm not throwing in the towel."

Harvesting in Central Estonia hampered by rain

Potato crops have fared somewhat better in central parts of the country, but rainy weather has proven a hindrance in Central Estonia as well, hampering harvesting efforts.

Kalle Hamburg, a potato farmer in Kehtna Municipality, said test digs show his crop is good, but a week of rain and the looming threat of October frosts make getting it out of the ground a major challenge.

"I haven't given up yet, but if frosts hit, there's no point in digging," Hamburg said.

"The forecast shows temperatures dropping below freezing on October 6," he explained. "If it keeps raining until September 22, the soil will need some time to firm up. If we can start digging on September 25, that will leave us about two weeks to get the potato harvest up."

Like Kolberg, Hamburg also warned that Estonia's potato supply is worsening each year —  and while potatoes are a shopping cart staple like milk, unlike dairies, potato farmers have no way to offset losses.

"There was a year when the wholesale price in stores was seven cents per kilo and production costs were 15 cents," he recalled. "If potatoes are your only source of income, you can't hold out long."

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