The potatoes have been harvested and we are already looking ahead. After all, as we all know, the end of a season is the beginning of the next one. Many farms are currently engaged in planning for the upcoming potato season. Now is also a good time to look back on the remarkable potato season of the year 2025.
The potato season of 2025 will be remembered by many farmers in Germany and Europe as a year of exceptionally high yields, but equally great economic challenges. Germany had its greatest potato yield in 25 years, reaching around 13.4 million tons. The yields were also significantly higher than average in other Western European countries. Favorable weather conditions played a major role, with rather wet winter followed by a warm, dry spring providing ideal conditions for planting. In July, sufficient rainfall further promoted growth, although it led to a temporary spike in plant disease levels.
Though the quality of the tubers varied from good to very good at many locations, a lot of farms faced the challenge of getting a good return for their harvest. It was therefore particularly important to harvest the crop in a gentle yet efficient manner. In a year like this, the new ROPA Keiler 2 RK22 was able to demonstrate its advantages, harvesting the potatoes without compromising the product quality.
In particular, the additional powerful DoubleSelect separation unit and the soil cleaning system on the overloading bunker made it possible to clean the tubers very gently and thoroughly. The high separation efficiency ensured that the required quality standards were reliably maintained even when processing large quantities and working in difficult conditions. For many enterprises, the machine played a crucial role in combining high output with high product quality.
Particularly in light of the tense market situation, quick change for harvesting other crops also proved to be a clear advantage. Farms that cultivated other crops such as onions or celery in addition to potatoes were able to adapt flexibly. The Keiler 2 RK22 scored highly here thanks to the short conversion times. The machine was ready to harvest other crops in no time at all – a feature that makes the Keiler a true all-rounder for versatile harvesting operations.
Thus, the 2025 season clearly demonstrated that success on the field is closely linked to market dynamics and the importance of flexible, high-performance technology in challenging years.
Some customer statements and impressions of the 2025 harvest campaign:
The anniversary machine: Keiler No. 1000
Keiler No. 1000 goes to the Gleich farm in the Southern Palatinate
In the southern Palatinate region, the Gleich family runs a highly specialized family farm with roughly 250 hectares of agricultural land. They specialize in "niche" crops like early potatoes, asparagus, and strawberries. Especially cultivation of early potatoes plays a central role in the business concept. Early planting begins at the end of February and is covered with fleece and plastic sheeting. Harvesting usually begins in May and is carried out consistently without storage. Within a maximum of two to three days, the potatoes go straight from the field to the shops, since freshness and quality are the top priorities.
The company first started using ROPA machines in 2020, when it added a Keiler RK21 to its fleet. This machine reliably harvested around 570 hectares in five harvesting campaigns. For the 2025 season, they decided to switch to the ROPA Keiler 2 RK22, the 1000th anniversary machine in this series.
RK22 was chosen primarily because of its practical technical advantages. The particularly gentle harvesting process ensures high product quality and is ideal for delicate early potatoes. At the same time, the machine impresses with its high area performance and efficiency in short harvest periods and peak workloads.
Flexibility is yet another advantage, e.g. besides harvesting potatoes, the RK22 can also harvest onions with swath pickup. In addition, ergonomically designed stations at the picking table ensure comfortable working conditions and efficient cleaning with maximum product protection.
Keiler 2 RK22 L at Grimm contracting company, Goch near North Rhine-Westphalia
Keiler 2 RK22 L at Grimm contracting company in Goch
The Grimm contracting company has two ROPA Keiler 2 RK22 machines in operation. Thanks to the overloading bunker, you can load up while driving, which saves valuable time and really boosts the machine's daily performance.
For a contractor like Stefan Grimm in particular, this increase in efficiency represents a noticeable advantage in daily use and a clear gain in terms of productivity and cost-effectiveness.
Keiler 2 RK22 DoubleSelect at the Matter farm, Palatinate
Interview with Tobias Matter
The Matter family farm in the Palatinate region mainly grows potatoes and onions. This year, the family decided to replace their old machine and equip themselves for the future by purchasing a ROPA Keiler 2 RK22 Doubleselect with a bunker scale and a drive axle.
"The first demonstration of the DoubleSelect technology was enough to convince us," says Tobias Matter. "We expect the improved separation to be a major advantage, especially on difficult soils. It is also much more comfortable than our old machine, with many automatic features that reduce manual work."
A particular highlight for the company is the bunker scale: "We harvest mainly on an order basis. With the scales, we can harvest exact truckloads and avoid under- or overloading. It saves time, money and hassle, and we can see the results immediately."
The drive axle also provides additional safety under wet conditions: "When an order comes in, the job has to be done. Thanks to the drive axle, we are also perfectly equipped for difficult harvesting conditions."
With the new Keiler 2 RK22 Doubleselect, the Matter farm not only benefits from maximum efficiency and flexibility, but also from the highest level of comfort – a real asset when it comes to harvesting potatoes.
Keiler 2 RK22 at Michael Bruns from Hemsloh, Lower Saxony
First operation of a new Keiler 2
The Michael Bruns farm now has three ROPA Keiler machines in operation: two RK21s and, as of this year, a new Keiler 2 RK22. The machine fleet highlights their trust in time-tested ROPA machines and provides high performance and flexibility on a daily basis during harvest period.
Keiler 2 RK22 Silver Edition - Hermann Meißle from Bibertal-Schneckenhofen in Bavaria
First operation at the Meißle farm
First operation of a new ROPA Keiler 2 RK22 Silver Edition with bunker side walls made of V2A stainless steel. This machine also has ergonomically designed control elements and a new digital video system, which ensures high operating comfort and efficiency during daily use.
Keiler 2 RK22 DS - Sebastian Hauser, Staßfurt in Saxony-Anhalt
First operation of a new ROPA Keiler 2
The farming business run by Sebastian Hauser has opted for a ROPA Keiler 2 RK22 DoubleSelect model. The machine has impressed them with its high performance in the field and outstanding user-friendliness.
Particular praise was also given to the professional service and excellent customer support provided by CLAAS Braunschweig GmbH, Groß Germersleben branch.
We are very grateful for the trust you have placed in us and wish you many successful harvests with RK22 DoubleSelect!
Some highlights from past demonstrations
Demonstration of a Keiler 2 RK22 L by our partner LTZ Chemnitz GmbH
The ROPA Keiler demonstrated its capabilities under particularly demanding harvesting conditions during a field trial held jointly with our partner LTZ Chemnitz GmbH. Potatoes for fries and chips were harvested under extremely wet soil conditions, plus the leaves and stems were very long and uncut.
Despite these challenges, the Keiler coped excellently with its tasks. The tubers were clean even without sorting personnel. The customer was duly impressed by the machine's performance and reliability.
Demonstration in collaboration with our partner S&L Connect GmbH
As part of a demonstration held in collaboration with our partner S&L Connect GmbH, the ROPA Keiler proved its worth under demanding conditions. The customer cultivates around 60 hectares of table and seed potatoes.
The demonstration field was extremely clayey, with a high content of stones here and there. Seed potatoes were harvested, placed directly into boxes and immediately transported for storage.
Despite the difficult soil conditions, the machine was able to achieve lifting speed of up to 3.0 km/h, impressively demonstrating its performance and efficiency.
International highlights of the Keiler
The ROPA Keiler 1 makes its debut on Bulgarian fields!
Our ROPA Keiler 1 premiered on Bulgarian soil near the town of Ihtiman, Sofia Province. In collaboration with our sales and service partner Animex, we demonstrated the efficiency and capabilities of a modern single-row potato harvester in particularly challenging operating conditions.
The proximity to the Sredna Gora Mountains and the extreme dryness posed significant challenges for both people and machines. The separation process was a real test because of the large amount of stones and clods. However, the Keiler 1 impressively demonstrated its capabilities in all respects with its generously dimensioned separation units and versatile adjustment options. Even under these difficult conditions, the hydraulic drive concept ensured the utmost gentle handling of the crop.
Demonstrations in Turkey together with our partner Yeni Aktaş
The climate in Turkey is particularly good for growing potatoes. As one of the top 15 exporting countries worldwide, Turkey also plays a significant role on the international potato market.
Until now, harvesting tended to be a laborious manual process: simple sieve chain harvesters were used to uncover the potatoes, which were then collected manually in big bags. These big bags were lifted by a crane at the rear of a tractor and emptied onto the trucks. Despite being picked up by hand, the dirt content remained high due to the adhering soil.
In response to growing demand for faster, more efficient and cost-saving harvesting methods, ROPA teamed up with its long-standing sales partner Yeni Aktas to launch a ROPA Keiler 2 RK22 with an overloading bunker and DoubleSelect system in Turkey.
The machine was presented during demonstrations.
Potato harvesting in Australia
Congratulations to Paul and Doug Rennie from Agrico and Agrizone on the purchase of their ROPA Keiler 2 RK22 DoubleSelect. That's the first Keiler on Australian soil!
The machine shows its capabilities in the Hillston region of New South Wales. ROPA's advanced DoubleSelect cleaning technology ensures outstanding separation and perfectly clean potatoes, even when the soil is muddy or stony. The fully hydraulic drive and continuous adjustment options maximize efficiency, while the quick-change pickups allow for use on a variety of crops.
First use of ROPA Keiler 1 at the Lisbino family farm near Naples, Italy
The sensitive early potatoes were harvested particularly gently thanks to the hydraulic drive and a wide range of adjustment options. The sunshade canopy provided noticeable relief for the sorting staff on a sunny day with temperatures reaching 34°C.
"We’re travelling first class now," concluded Domenico Lisbino.
Our sincere thanks to the Lisbino family for their trust and to Stacmec srl for excellent cooperation!
Excavators return to Uelzen
On November 1, 2024, ROPA Fahrzeug- und Maschinenbau GmbH took over the service center and premises of PALANDT Agrartec GmbH in Uelzen. Since then, customers of ROPA Potato Technology in the east of Lower Saxony can get direct support from the ROPA team. The supply of spare parts and customer support have since been maintained at its usual top level and constantly improved.
ROPA is now taking the next step looking to the future and the excavators are back in action! A used-machine center will be established at the ROPA branch in Uelzen. In this way, ROPA strategically expands its operations and creates additional capacity for service, technology and sales of used machines.
Combining direct customer service, great spare parts availability and infrastructure expansion, the Uelzen location is further developing into a state-of-the-art hub for ROPA technology in the region.