"Every batch of potatoes has something wrong with it," sighs an insider. Now that many potatoes have been stored for six to eight weeks, more and more storage problems are emerging. Bruising, rot, and premature sprouting are frequently mentioned. This further increases the pressure on the market.
Potato growers in the Netherlands and Belgium, among other countries, are experiencing several quality issues. First, there's bruising due to harvest damage. Even fields that have been irrigated multiple times aren't completely free of bruising. Growers in the southwest who waited until the very end and harvested after the rains in late October and early November have fared best. Samples taken show that the problems are the least common there.
Rotten tubers
Despite a dry growing season, bacterial rot is also found in the storage rooms. Harvest damage is also the culprit here. While these aren't exactly major problems, removing those few rotten tubers still requires long hours of work. And that's precisely what growers don't want to do.
In the EU-4, the high germination rate of potatoes is widely reported. Planting was relatively early this year, and as a result, the tubers are already physiologically older than one might initially think. Moreover, the MH spraying last summer was generally ineffective. This is now coming to light. The relatively warm weather, especially at night, did not help cool the batches sufficiently. Because of all these factors, germination started early.
A bit of winter weather
This week, the Netherlands will experience different weather. The first frost of the season has already arrived, and temperatures could drop to minus 5 degrees Celsius at night towards the end of the week, especially in the eastern Netherlands. In South Limburg and the Veluwe, snowfall could also cause snow. Elsewhere in the country, the weather will remain somewhat variable. It will be cold, but it won't reach true wintry conditions. Temperatures are expected to rise again towards the end of November, but weather models are highly uncertain. December could start dry and cold, but it remains to be seen whether the Scandinavian cold will reach us.
In the countries around us, the weather is similar, with occasional rainfall and nighttime temperatures around or just above freezing. However, a pinprick of frost can be detrimental to potatoes still in the ground. The delivery of potatoes directly from the fields isn't yet complete everywhere. In addition, a considerable number of potatoes are in emergency storage, and not all of them are frost-free. In the event of serious winter weather, this can become a problem.
No question
This excessive stock continues to weigh on the market, and there's no sign of relief anytime soon. This is also reflected in German stock figures, for example, which indicate that the French fry potato stock was 12% higher at the beginning of November than last year. Factories in Europe are certainly not eager to have more potatoes than strictly necessary. processed French factories have only produced 3.000 tons of potatoes for free this season (until November 1st). The Dutch figures will also be released this week, which should provide more clarity on the pace in our country. Lines have regularly been idle for short or longer periods, making it interesting to see how this has affected production.
There's no need to worry that we'll all have fewer fries on our plates this Christmas. Cold stores across Europe are chock-full of frozen fries. At the end of last season, some processors seized the opportunity to buy some unsold potatoes at low prices, thinking they could make cheap fries. Some of these are still in freezers, and meanwhile, production continues daily to varying degrees. So, there's not just a potato glut, but also a fries glut.
Mood swing
Meanwhile, a clear shift in mood is noticeable among potato growers. Field work is more or less over in many places, and people are now looking ahead to the 2026 growing year. While earlier this autumn people were still thinking or hoping for stabilization and a slight recovery after the new year, many growers have now broadened their horizons to next spring or even later. A spring with a story (and a small miracle) is needed to get the market moving again.
Next week, the first (Belgian) factories will begin contracting, providing the sector with answers to many questions: what will the reduction be? What will seed potato prices be like? What is the maximum volume I can secure? These are important issues for the coming year. It was already clear that buyers will be critically examining the relationships they have built. This is especially important for companies located far from their customers, unable to store goods, and who have struggled with quality issues in recent years. Reportedly, the Dutch factories are sticking to their publication schedules and are keeping their cards close to their chests for now.