This year's grain harvest is mostly complete, and farmers have started gathering potatoes. They say that this summer wasn't bad for agriculture.

"This year was certainly significantly better. In some places, excess water may have caused problems, but the average yield will definitely be much better than last year," said Kalle Hamburg, chairman of the board of the Estonian Farmers' Federation.

Priit Rosenberg, head of Raubri AS, also confirmed that this year's yield is better than last year's.

However, the area of cultivated agricultural land has decreased by 4,400 hectares compared to last year. Over the past decade, the area for potato cultivation has shrunk by 80 percent, and since Estonia's re-independence, it has decreased by 95 percent.

"There is no potato processing industry in Estonia. Every single tuber fights for its spot on store shelves. In Europe, 80 percent of potato growers sign contracts with the industry, and 20 percent go to retail. But here, our potato growers are competing 100 percent in retail," Hamburg explained.

In recent years, the total area for cereal cultivation has decreased. There has been a slight increase in the area for spring wheat, rye and oats. The areas for summer rapeseed and turnip rape have also grown. However, the viability of winter rapeseed cultivation is in serious doubt, as effective insecticides are banned.

"Years ago, there were systemic preparations that moved with the plant's sap. Now, we only have contact insecticides – meaning that if the pest is on the plant and comes into direct contact, it is destroyed. But if the pest is hiding under a leaf at night, it doesn't get affected. It wakes up in the morning and continues eating," Hamburg explained.

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