Spain: The potato sector is preparing for a new season marked by a reduction in cultivated area and an increase in costs

The potato harvest in Andalusia has seen a 5% reduction in planted area this year, equivalent to approximately 10,000 hectares. This decrease is attributed to the effects of the series of storms that affected the region at the beginning of the year. However, yields are expected to be higher than those achieved in 2025, according to Marco Román, president of the potato sector at Asociafruit, speaking to Efeagro.

Currently, almost all of the extra-early potatoes in Málaga have already been harvested, while the harvest of new potatoes in Andalusia will likely end in early or mid-July. In this context, Román complained that store shelves are sharing space with old potatoes from France, from the 2025 season, which have been stored in cold storage for extended periods.

**Competition with French fries**  

Román highlighted his concern about the quality of these French potatoes, which dominate 80% of the market in Spanish wholesale markets. He indicated that, because they are fried, these potatoes contain acrylamide levels higher than those recommended by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which could increase the risk of developing cancer. He also criticized the fact that these old French potatoes are sold in Spain at the same price as new ones, despite their low quality and the fact that "they should be used for animal feed." He also lashed out at certain food chains that prioritize profit over product quality.

Looking ahead to October, the Fruit Attraction trade fair in Madrid will celebrate the potato as its "star product," highlighting it as the third most produced food crop worldwide after rice and wheat. This recognition has been promoted by Asociafruit.

**Promotion of the Spanish potato**  

Alberto Duque, head of the potato sector at COAG, endorsed Román’s statements and stressed the need to promote advertising campaigns to highlight domestic potatoes over imports. He also emphasized the importance of clearly labeling the product’s origin to allow consumers to make informed choices.

According to Duque, Castile and León, Spain’s main potato-producing region, will reduce its potato acreage by approximately 10% this year, compared to the roughly 20,000 hectares cultivated in 2025. He added that, due to the focus on early plantings for their higher profitability, seed purchases and planting began as early as April. This could lead to an overlap in July with new potatoes produced in regions such as Andalusia, Cartagena, and Valencia.

**Rising Costs**  

Rising input costs are intensifying the challenges facing the sector. Duque warned that the sustained increase in fertilizer and fuel prices, exacerbated by the conflict in the Middle East, could hinder competitiveness against other international producers next year. In this regard, he described the price hikes as "outrageous."

Joan Company, representative of the potato sector at ASAJA and president of this organization in the Balearic Islands, also expressed his concern about the uncertainty surrounding how input prices will evolve. He pointed out that the influx of older French potatoes is causing “serious problems” in the domestic market. As an example, he mentioned that in May alone, agricultural diesel prices in his autonomous community increased by 51% compared to the same month in 2015. Other basic inputs registered notable increases: 26% for urea, 38% for ammonium nitrate, and 50% for granulated ammonium sulfate.

For his part, Ignacio Huertas, Secretary of Agriculture of UPA, did not rule out that there could be "an overlap of productions" as a result of the boom in early plantings in certain regions.