The Belgian potato market is under pressure due to high stock levels and stalling sales, particularly on the open market. Supply remains difficult to place. Read more about Belgian potato stock and sales.
The high stock is primarily the result of difficult sales. Up to February, approximately 2 million tonnes were delivered, mainly under contract. In February and March, sales fell sharply. The free market was particularly affected: sales of free-market potatoes were 43% lower than average. A portion of these volumes went to alternative sales channels such as animal feed and anaerobic digestion.
Of the current stock, approximately 1,9 million tonnes are under contract and about 700.000 tonnes are available. The available stock is therefore relatively large and difficult to place, which increases pressure on the market.
Belgium harvested a total of 4,96 million tonnes of storage potatoes in 2025. Of this, including supplementary potatoes, 3,71 million tonnes were contracted. The harvest of free-market potatoes amounted to 1,25 million tonnes. Including early potatoes, the total harvest amounted to 5,3 million tonnes. This is more than 1 million tonnes above the five-year average of 4,25 million tonnes.