Potato News from Europe

Los agricultores alemanes lograron una cosecha de patatas excepcionalmente alta —con rendimientos un 20% superiores y más superficie cultivada— pero el fuerte excedente hundió los precios hasta un 60% y generó un mercado exportador muy competitivo, por lo que se considera necesaria una reducción del área de cultivo para equilibrar la oferta.

Royal Cosun advances sustainability through regional and national deals. Limburg sites cut 30,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually, while a €73 (USD 85.6m) state agreement delivers a 167 kt CO₂ reduction by 2030, plus major nitrogen and ammonia cuts.

La UE no logró firmar el acuerdo con Mercosur por falta de consenso, mientras que el comercio hortofrutícola muestra un fuerte desequilibrio para España, con exportaciones en caída y unas importaciones muy superiores y en aumento.

La medida, que pretende redirigir fondos para inversiones en defensa y seguridad, supone un recorte de 900 millones de euros solamente para el campo español.

Agricultores y ganaderos de Castilla y León, junto a miles de productores europeos, protestarán en Bruselas para exigir un presupuesto agrícola justo y evitar los fuertes recortes propuestos para la PAC 2028–2034, que consideran una amenaza para el campo y para los consumidores.

Troostwijk Auctions launches six online auctions (18 Dec–15 Jan) to sell the full industrial assets of bankrupt Dutch potato processor CêlaVíta, offering high-quality potato processing, packaging and labelling machinery from leading brands.

Restrain®, a specialist in residue-free technology for potato production and storage, has appointed Van Iperen BV as the distributor of Restrain Accumulator in the Netherlands.

Table potato variety Country is attracting growing interest in the German market. The need for a stress-resistant, high-yielding variety with good skin quality prompted Böhmer to start trials with Country in 2023.

Dutch arable farming plays an important role in national food security. Members of Parliament were able to experience this firsthand on Wednesday 3 December.

M&S has partnered with Suffolk-based Home Farm Nacton, based on the historic Orwell Park Estate, to bring customers across the UK new variety celebration potatoes for the festive season.

Castilla y León, líder español en producción de patata, enfrenta el desafío de mantener su regadío basado en aguas subterráneas bajo nuevas exigencias de sostenibilidad marcadas por la Unión Europea.

The FAO Food Price Index averaged 125.1 points in November 2025, down 1.2 percent from October and marking a third consecutive monthly decline. Lower prices for dairy products, meat, sugar and vegetable oils outweighed an increase in the cereal index.

SACAPP’s 2026 conference returns to Dundee on February 5, bringing UK growers together to explore innovation, data-driven production, water resilience and new uses for potato waste, with speakers from Japan, Orkney and Scotland’s plant health leadership.

Lamb Weston, HAI, Radboud University and ISPT are advancing potato processing with AI and hyperspectral imaging to boost quality, reduce waste and improve efficiency. Lamb Weston experts say the technology enables consistent supply and faster, deeper quality predictions.

Ukraine imported 123,140 t of potatoes in Jan–Oct 2025, up 5.1 times, worth USD 66M, mainly from Poland, Egypt and the Netherlands. Exports fell 13.4% to 2,140 t, though earnings rose slightly. In October, imports dropped sharply while exports grew.

Flo-Mech Ltd has opened a new demonstration facility showcasing advanced processing equipment, including the G450, Hoegger PS2000 and MPE Chain-Vey. More systems will be added soon. Customers can book trials on-site or at their own facility.

Las importaciones españolas de frutas y hortalizas frescas siguieron creciendo entre enero y septiembre de 2025, con un alza del 6% en volumen y del 13% en valor. La patata se mantuvo como el producto más importado.

The DKHV is relaunching the 'Kids an die Knolle' school garden program in 2026, inviting teachers and educators to register and receive 5 kg of free seed potatoes for hands-on learning. Schools can register until 15 February 2026.