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Developments in Potato Production for the Starch Industry
Author(s) -
van der Zaag D. E.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
starch ‐ stärke
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.62
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1521-379X
pISSN - 0038-9056
DOI - 10.1002/star.19760281107
Subject(s) - starch , yield (engineering) , production (economics) , production cost , agronomy , agricultural science , environmental science , economics , biology , food science , engineering , mechanical engineering , macroeconomics , materials science , metallurgy
From the price relationship between potatoes and maize gross margins can be calculated for various prices and yields of these two crops. From this can be concluded that in general potato production for starch can compete with maize for starch production at maize prices about 35 guilders. In the nine EC countries tuber yield per ha increased from 1962 to 1973 annually by almost 3%. In the Netherlands the yield per ha of starch from potatoes used for the starch industry increased from 1960 to 1975 annually also about by 3%. The average yield is now about 7 t/ha. It is estimated that under ideal conditions in the Netherlands the potential yield of starch would be 16 t/ha. Therefore much can be done to improve yield. In the period 1965–1973 in the Netherlands the total cost of potato production for starch increased by about 4% per year. In the last few years this increase was however almost 14% per year. Before 1973 rise in cost of production could be compensated for a large extend by the annual increase in yield per ha. That is not the case with a rise in cost by 14%.