Europe: Historic price drop and 5% increase in potato cultivation area
Since the end of February 2025, the average price per 100 kg of potatoes has dropped from 30 euros to just 7.50 euros, a drop of more than 75%.
The global market for processed potato products is undergoing a profound transformation. While the cultivated area in the NEPG zone (France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany) has increased by around 5%, representing an additional 25,000 hectares, producer prices have plummeted in recent months, generating a serious crisis in the sector.
Since the end of February 2025, the average price per 100 kg of potatoes has dropped from €30 to just €7.50, a drop of more than 75%. This situation has put farmers and various stakeholders in the potato value chain on alert.
Causes of the debacle : explosive combination of factors
Slowdown in foreign trade
Exports of frozen French fries and other derivatives began to show signs of weakness as early as 2024. According to Eurostat data, combined trade in processed products from the four major EU producing countries (France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands) fell by 1.8% in volume between 2023 and 2024, an unprecedented decline excluding the pandemic period.
Furthermore, international competition has intensified. China and India have increased their potato product exports tenfold in the last five years. At the same time, European production costs have continued to rise, driving up sales prices and reducing competitiveness.
Trade tensions with the US and the domino effect
The new US president’s trade policy has created a perfect storm: tariffs and new duties have slowed European exports of processed goods, while economic uncertainty has weakened the dollar, making European products even more expensive abroad.
Strategic errors and unpredictable weather aggravate the situation
Unrealistic expectations on the part of farmers
Farmers , encouraged by exceptionally high prices in the spring of 2023 and 2024 (which affected only 5% of the total harvest), opted for aggressive potato crop growth, convinced that low prices were a thing of the past. This overconfidence has contributed to an oversupply on the market.
Climate, early planting, and poor processing decisions
The extremely early planting of the new season meant that the old potatoes were still on the market when the new ones were already starting to arrive.
The rains of April and May, although scarce, temporarily improved growing conditions, accelerating supply.
The processing sector made serious technical errors, affecting the quality of the chips and, consequently, their sales.
More surface area, less profitability: the structural dilemma of producers
As cultivated land expands without strategic planning, producers face an increasingly difficult situation:
Rising production costs
Stricter environmental regulations
Emerging soil diseases
Growing global competition
Los agricultores europeos, además de enfrentarse a presiones climáticas y medioambientales, deben operar dentro de un marco regulatorio mucho más exigente que sus competidores de Egipto, India o China, lo que los sitúa en una clara desventaja competitiva.
Llamado del NEPG: Precaución y cooperación
El NEPG (Grupo de Productores del Noroeste de Europa) advierte que la rentabilidad del cultivo de papa no está garantizada. En lugar de continuar con una expansión descontrolada, recomienda a los agricultores que reevalúen los riesgos financieros y técnicos y abogan por:
- Mejorar la colaboración entre los diferentes actores de la cadena de valor.
- Comprometerse con una mayor planificación colectiva.
- Establecer límites sostenibles para evitar nuevas crisis de sobreproducción.
Resumen en cifras
Indicador Valor Variación Superficie NEPG (provisional) +25.000 ha +5% Precio al productor (febrero) 30 €/100 kg – Precio al productor (junio) 7,50 €/100 kg -75% Exportaciones UE-4 (2023-24) -1,8% Descenso histórico Aumento de las exportaciones China/India x10 en 5 años
Conclusión: Es urgente repensar el futuro de la patata europea
El cultivo de la patata, tradicionalmente uno de los pilares de la rentabilidad agrícola en Europa Occidental, atraviesa una fase crítica. La combinación de expansión descontrolada, mercados saturados, caída de precios, problemas técnicos y tensiones comerciales debería servir de clara advertencia a todo el sector.
Si no se adoptan medidas coordinadas –a nivel productivo, político y comercial– la sostenibilidad del cultivo en el mediano plazo podría verse seriamente comprometida.
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