Potato production in the EU is growing more strongly than previously estimated, with higher yields and an expansion of acreage in several countries. The increased supply is putting pressure on the market. Read more about potato production in the EU.
The new result is more than 1 million tonnes higher than the previous indication. As a result, production is 6,2 million tonnes higher than the 2024 harvest. The difference compared to the 5-year average amounts to as much as 7 million tonnes.
As expected based on acreage growth, the largest production increase was realized in the Netherlands (+18,6%), Belgium (+21,6%), Germany (+9,2%), and France (+10,4%). Poland and Denmark also made a substantial contribution. New figures show that Poland harvested slightly more than 7 million tonnes of potatoes in 2025. That amount is 1,1 million tonnes (18,4%) larger than a year earlier.
In itself, a harvest of 7 million tons in Poland is not a remarkable fact. It is primarily the large difference compared to the previous three years that stands out. In 2022, 2023, and 2024, the harvest stalled at barely 6 million tons.
Last year's production increase in Poland resulted from a combination of acreage growth (+9,2%) and higher yields (+8,4%). 32,7 tonnes were harvested per hectare. That is 2 to 3 tonnes more than in the previous three years.
Surplus in Poland
Not so long ago, Poland cultivated potatoes on around 300.000 hectares. Since 2020 (the coronavirus pandemic), cultivation has shrunk significantly, reaching a low point of 188.580 hectares in 2023. Over the past two years, the acreage has increased again by nearly 26.000 hectares. This puts the Poles in the same boat as potato growers in the EU-4. Due to overproduction, an estimated 700.000 to 1 million tonnes of potatoes are in storage there, struggling to find a market.
Denmark is less frequently mentioned in the list of major potato producers, but production there rose sharply last year. Eurostat reports an increase of 21% to 3,63 million tonnes. This is due to a 13,6% expansion of the cultivated area, while yields increased by 6,6%. At 49 tonnes per hectare, yields were 3 to 4 tonnes higher than in previous years.