The French potato farmer is on cloud nine. Especially in the northern part of the country, potato cultivation is on the rise. This has mainly come at the expense of the wheat area. In recent years, there has been significant investment in potato cultivation, and the reward is evident. Particularly in the last few seasons with consistently high market prices throughout the year. Additionally, the substantial increase in contract prices makes potato cultivation more than profitable.
Even this year, French growers seem to be in a favorable position in Western Europe in terms of average potato harvest. According to the most recent data from the government institution Agreste, there is over 13% more being harvested compared to the previous season. The total potato harvest is expected to reach 7.6 million tons, up from 6.7 million tons in the 2023 harvest year. In addition to a significantly expanding area of nearly 25,000 hectares, the average potato harvest is promising. This is in contrast to Belgium and especially the southern part of the Netherlands, where the potato harvest is significantly below the multi-year average.
Both in France itself and in the neighboring countries, especially Belgium, the processing capacity is enormous and has also grown in recent years. Combined with the reasonably good potato harvest, nothing stands in the way of a successful season. Especially now that the harvest in Belgium is disappointing. However, the harvest in France is not a done deal yet. Reportedly, there is still a significant area to be harvested with November already approaching. The lessons from last year should not be forgotten.
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Traditionally, there has always been a good market from France to the Southern European countries. There has already been a significantly higher market to Spain and Portugal, with current market prices for varieties like Agata reaching up to €30 per 100 kilograms. This is €5 less than this time last year. However, the expectation is that the price may follow a similar trend as last season.
The market sentiment can be further strengthened by the demand from England, where there is a very poor potato harvest. While the English potato harvest averaged 5.5 million tons in recent decades (with the exception of the 'flooded' harvest in 2012, when the harvest was determined to be 4.65 million tons), for the 2024 harvest year, it will not exceed 4.60 million tons. A shrinking area and moderate growth conditions result in a small harvest.
In conclusion, the demand from the processing industry is increasing with excellent contract terms. There are also good market opportunities for other varieties besides those for fries, to countries where the potato area and thus the total volume of potatoes is decreasing. The future looks bright for the French potato farmer.
