Weather Pooh-Pooh’s Potato Harvest

Iceland’s agricultural output has been on the rise since 2007, discounting a considerable dip in 2013 according to a new report from the Icelandic Association of Horticulture Producers.

Roughly 18,500 tonnes of vegetables are produced in Iceland annually and only 6,500 tonnes imported – save last year when the overall domestic agricultural production shrank to 12,000 tonnes.

As is so often the case, poor weather was to blame.

Potatoes compose roughly 2/3 of Iceland’s agricultural output, roughly 12,000 tonnes. But following what was arguably one of the most miserable and cold summers on record, the potato harvest of 2013 only accounted for half of its usual yield, 6,000 tonnes. Dragging the overall domestic agricultural production down.

If potato production is removed from the equation, a steady uptick in domestic vegetable production has been recorded and domestically produced cucumbers have effectively pummelled imported cucumbers.

Graph showing domestic (green) vs. imported (grey) cucumbers in Iceland since 2007.

As of last year, Icelandic cucumbers compose 98% of all cucumbers consumed in Iceland, a little over a 10% increase since 2007.