News on Potato Stats, Trade, Prices from Europe

Europatat Congress 2027 will take place in Lisbon, Portugal, from 2–4 June, celebrating Europatat’s 75th anniversary. Co-organised with Porbatata, the event will feature a conference, gala dinner, technical visits and sponsorship opportunities.

The 1st International Potato Symposium in Madrid brought together 250 professionals to discuss key challenges and opportunities in production, trade, plant health, innovation and sustainability, promoting stronger European cooperation.

The 1st International Symposium of Potato will bring together more than 400 professionals in Madrid on October 5, 2026, to discuss potato production, trade, plant health and opportunities across the European potato value chain.

Switzerland is facing a record-low potato harvest after the hot summer reduced production to 20 percent below the six-year average. Domestic potatoes now cover only 70 to 75 percent of demand, increasing the need for imports.

Belgium’s potato crop is shrinking under extreme heat and drought, threatening supplies for its famous fries. Smaller potatoes could tighten availability, raise costs and push up prices across the country’s € frozen fries industry.

In Europe, the industrial potato harvest could fall below 40 million tonnes in 2026 due to reduced plantings, heat and drought, while tighter supply and rising exports are already pushing processing potato prices higher.

European seed potato multiplication area fell 1.6% to 105,155 hectares in 2026, according to ESPG data. Germany recorded slight growth, while the other major producing countries and several leading varieties saw declines.

La campaña de la patata en Salamanca afronta un comienzo marcado por la expectativa ante la demanda portuguesa, la incertidumbre del mercado y los desafíos climáticos y sanitarios.

PotatoNL reported another sharp rise in potato quotations as drought across Europe slowed early potato growth. Strong demand from processors and uncertainty over the new harvest continued to support higher prices.

La cosecha en Salamanca, pese a la buena calidad de las patatas, se perfila con malas perspectivas frente a un mercado deprimido donde los precios no cubren los costos de producción y la demanda flaquea.

La campaña de patata en Salamanca comenzó con precios bajos, en algunos casos por debajo de los costes de producción. La alta oferta, la incertidumbre sobre los rendimientos, el calor y el riesgo de alternaria preocupan a los agricultores.

Ya se esta recogiendo los campos con los cultivos más precoces, mientras que se continua a la espera de un panorama más claro con respecto al precio.

La cosecha de papa en Salamanca comenzará formalmente la próxima semana en un contexto de incertidumbre productiva y de precios, marcado por diferencias entre zonas, competencia con cosechas tardías de Andalucía y Toledo, excedentes franceses y valores más bajos que en años anteriores.

NEPG reports an 11% decline in European ware potato plantings for 2026 as growers cut acreage to rebalance oversupplied markets. The group warns low contract prices and rising production costs threaten farm viability.

The latest European Commission report on EU agri-food trade shows that, during the first four months of 2026, the EU agri-food trade surplus reached EUR 15.6 billion, an increase of EUR 233 million compared with the same period in 2025.

Following a record 2025 potato crop of 8.6mn tonnes, France's potato sector is coordinating the transition to the 2026 harvest by reducing surplus stocks, ending promotions for the previous harvest and creating retail space for new potatoes.

La campaña de patata en Andalucía avanza con menos superficie sembrada pero mejores perspectivas de rendimiento, en medio de la presión de las importaciones de patata vieja francesa, el riesgo de solapamiento entre cosechas nacionales y un fuerte aumento de los costos de producción.

The Dutch potato sector used International Potato Day to highlight its role in global food security, innovation, and economic growth. Industry leaders and policymakers emphasized cooperation, sustainability, and support to maintain global leadership.