Niels van der Boom | Market Reporter Potatoes at DCA Market Intelligence

Niels van der Boom is a senior market analyst at DCA Market Intelligence, focusing on the global potato processing market. He shares insights in the export markets of frozen potato products, European potato production and business developments of processors.

He analyses trade figures, tracks market developments, price movements and supply chain trends. These insights help growers, traders and processors make smarter, data-driven solutions. Niels combines data analysis with practical market knowledge, covering everything from planting intentions and growing trends to harvest forecasts, trade patterns and developments.

With his market intelligence, Niels helps potato professionals plan ahead in a rapidly developing and dynamic global potato sector.

Discover Niels’ latest insights, reports, and analyses, or connect with him on LinkedIn for updates on the global potato industry.

Latest insights

News|Published: Feb 13, 2026

Lamb Weston chooses generic price reduction

Potato processor Lamb Weston has decided to apply a generic price reduction for all variety groups in the 2026-2027 season. This amounts to a price decrease of 13% to 20% compared to last season. For the variety Ivory Russet, the company continues to pay the highest prices.

News|Published: Feb 13, 2026

'A 30 tonnes contract is no contract at all'

While French potato growers are in the midst of their contract negotiations and area planning for the upcoming season, the producer organization UNPT held its annual congress in Arras. Chairman Geoffroy d'Evry did not mince words: 'A contract that only commits to 30 tons per hectare at a fixed price is not a contract,' he said. 'If there is no intervention in the area, we will see the same market outcome this year.'

News|Published: Feb 12, 2026

French free-buy volume reduced to near zero

The French potato processing industry continues to purchase a significant volume of potatoes from outside its own country but, reduced it’s free-buy volume to almost nothing. The total processing volume is 16% lower at the start of this year.

News|Published: Feb 11, 2026

Mercosur can give a small boost to fry exports

The free trade agreement Mercosur has a strongly negative connotation in the European agricultural sector. The European Commission emphasizes the benefits for the export position of the member states. Among other things, the export of fries and other potato products may benefit from it. However, the question remains how significant that positive impact actually is.

Analysis|Published: Feb 4, 2026

Production costs do not fall in line with contract prices

The cost price for the cultivation of processing potatoes will drop in 2026, for the first time in four years. This is concluded by the Dutch Arable Farming Union (NAV) based on their own cost price calculation. However, a decrease of 1% to 1.5% is by no means sufficient to compensate for the decline in contract prices. It is striking that the spread in production costs is growing between sand and clay soils.

Analysis|Published: Feb 4, 2026

India’s French fry exports take important part Middle East market

French fries from India continue to play an important role in the Middle East. Countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Oman have been strong buyers throughout 2025. For five months in a row, the export level of French fries from India has surpassed the 20,000 tonne barrier.