Polonia: Will growing potatoes be profitable this season?

• 1.- The potato is a very important crop and food species on all continents of the world.
• 2.- Globally, potato cultivation covered nearly 18 million hectares in 2022.
• 3.- The largest amounts of this species are cultivated in Asia (10.3 million ha), followed by the whole of Europe (4.1 million ha), Africa (1.8 million ha), South America (0.9 million ha), North America (0.6 million ha) and Australia and Oceania (approx. 45 thousand ha).
• 4.- Due to high potato prices at the end of 2023 and in spring 2024, the potato cultivation area increased in most Western European countries.

An increase was recorded mainly in the cultivation of potatoes for food processing for French fries and crisps, while the area of ​​starch potato cultivation decreased significantly for another year in a row. In some countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the area of ​​cultivation also increased compared to 2023, while the downward trend in potato cultivation deepened in the countries of Southern Europe.

Across the entire EU-27, the total area of ​​potato cultivation in 2024 is estimated at 1.36 million ha, i.e. 2.3% more than in the previous year, yields at the level of 363 dt/ha (362 dt/ha in 2023), and harvests at the level of 49.4 million tonnes.

In the countries of Western Europe, which have a decisive influence on the European potato market (Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium), production increased by approx. 0.8 million tonnes (by almost 2.7%).

Due to the prolonged harvest caused by excess rainfall in September and the related deterioration in the quality of some crops and growing demand, potato prices in Western Europe have been rising rapidly since November. The largest deficit in potato harvests is felt in southern Europe and countries with strong potato food processing.