The price of potatoes has skyrocketed in week 2, the first full week of 2025. It is not half or whole cents. Belgium, France and Germany are trading a penny in the black. In a few weeks, the price of potatoes has risen by tens of percent.
In Belgium and France, €50 was still quoted for French fry-ready Fontane in week 15, less than four weeks later it was €25; an increase of no less than 60%! In Germany, too, the price increase is going well. For example, on Friday 10 January, REKA also quoted €5 higher than a week earlier for the varieties Fontane (€26), Agria (€32) and Innovator (€36). The fact that these huge steps are being taken from Germany is somewhat remarkable, since in previous years the average quotations often lagged behind those of the other EU-4 countries. The average hectare yield in the 'large potato state' of Lower Saxony (total 120.000 hectares) was certainly not disappointing.
Remarkable
In a September 27 article on Boerenbusiness it was also mentioned that Germany expects largest harvest in 20 years, almost 10% more than in harvest year 2023 and more than 14% above the multi-year average. Nevertheless, the German potato prices are shooting through the roof, just like in the other EU-4 countries. The driving factor is a moderate potato harvest, especially in the south of the Netherlands and Belgium, reinforced by the extra demand for potatoes from a number of processors. The positive effect of this is reflected in the prices.
As may be assumed by now, PotatoNL has also listed for the first time this season. After much consultation between the parties in the chain, it was only now possible to put a price on the board. However, this may be seen as a somewhat remarkable one, as €20 is listed for Fontane at the bottom, while less than a day later France and Belgium are already listing €25 for the same segment.
PotatoNL does not cause a stir
The renewed PotatoNL setup does not seem to make much of an impression on farmers. With many potatoes on contract or in the pool, this can be explained. Growers are more concerned with the contract prices for the 2025/26 season. Not much is known about this in the Netherlands, but given what the Belgian processors have come up with, things seem comparable to harvest year 2024. The contract prices for 2024 and also for 2025 are at such a price level that the choice of whether or not to contract is not very difficult. The consequence is that the vast majority of potatoes in the EU-4 countries are already fixed in one way or another, which has further minimized the free market part.
Not at the wheel
This minimization of the part of free potatoes ensures that compiling a quotation (for example PotatoNL) is a difficult task today. On what basis should this be done if no or hardly any serious transactions are reported in terms of volume? The same is also the case in the countries surrounding us, where the conclusion can almost be drawn that much of what is contracted is based on air. The rudder on which the potato market is steered seems to have been lost at the moment.