Another round of gas, or should we somehow say goodbye to potatoes? This is a question that comes up regularly now that the market shows no signs of recovery with the approaching spring.
The potato market has been in crisis for almost a year now. In week 7 of 2025, demand for French fries suddenly plummeted. A week later, prices plummeted, and in no time, the price of Fontane potatoes was almost halved, from €30 to €17,50 per 100 kilos.
That price level ultimately proved unsustainable, and in May, prices dropped below €10 per 100 kilos. Since the 2025 harvest, things have gotten even worse, with prices for the main variety used in French fry production stuck at barely €1,50 per 100 kilos.
Due to lower sales, French fry factories have more than enough supply from the contracted hectares. Their schedules are overflowing, partly because sales of other products, such as flakes, are completely stagnant. Lines are idle here and there, and the potatoes that would normally be on these lines are being sold elsewhere.
Significant quantities are being diverted to Avebe in the northeast. The sales channel for animal feed is also overflowing. The cows currently can't consume more. All alternatives are being exhausted to ensure the potatoes are sold at all.
The final harvest estimate from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) published this week shows once again that there are still many potatoes floating around on the market. The final figure At 4,2 million tonnes of potatoes for consumption, this is 240.000 tonnes lower than the preliminary estimate, but that does not change the situation.
With a harvest exceeding 4 million tons, the surplus is so large that a few hundred thousand tons make no difference. Over the past two years, the processing and export of Dutch ware potatoes has fluctuated around 3 million tons. This means that alternative uses must be found for over 1 million tons. A significant portion, as mentioned above, ends up in feed or at Avebe. But they can't handle such a large quantity either.
Should the season be extended? In the past, there's been talk of a thirteen-month season instead of twelve. However, there are caveats to this. This primarily concerns quality. Varieties like Innovator and Fontane eventually stop being used, so extending the season is pointless.
Well-preserved Agrias and Markies are still suitable for frying after August 1st. The problem is, however, that most Agrias are gone by then, while quantities of Markies aren't nearly as effective as a Fontane.
In short, there won't be much room for growth this season. Moreover, there also needs to be room for processing the new harvest. It's still unknown how the 2026 season will unfold, of course, but postponing the start of the season won't suddenly be a solution for all potatoes.