French growers estimate own harvest larger

Arable farmers in northern France have significantly grown more processing potatoes this year. Combined with excellent hectare yields, this results in a 16% larger harvest this year. This is evident from a survey conducted by the French potato organizations UNPT and CNIPT. The yield is thus larger than what the agricultural ministry anticipates. The French agricultural statistics service Agreste estimated last month that the potato harvest was suddenly 200,000 metric tons smaller than previously thought, caused by an adjustment in the area figure. In their latest estimate, mid-December, that area remains rounded at 196,000 hectares for consumption potatoes. The total potato volume amounts to 8.32 million metric tons, which is an increase of 11.3% compared to 2024 and even a quarter more than the five-year average. More hectares The French potato growers organization UNPT and national potato organization CNIPT have surveyed their members about the potato harvest this year. The figures they found are slightly different from what the government is calculating. They also publish figures per department. The five largest cultivation areas, in the north, west, and central France, collectively amount to nearly 173,000 hectares. The rest of the country accounts for another 14,503 hectares, bringing the total calculated by the two organizations to 187,489 hectares. An increase of no less than 25,884 or 16% compared to 2024. This also applies to the area in the most important cultivation areas, where it has increased by 16.4%. There are indeed differences per department. For example, potato cultivation in Picardy grew by a quarter, and in Nord-Pas-de-Calais, there are 16% more potatoes. With 64,530 hectares, this remains the largest cultivation area, followed by 57,287 hectares in Picardy. Lower hectare yield The hectare yield in the large cultivation areas, according to the growers themselves, averages 45 tons per hectare. This is 800 kg less than was harvested last year. As a result, the harvest volume amounts to 7.79 million tons of potatoes, which is 14.7% more than was harvested last year. Across all of France, the organizations estimate the yield at 8.58 million tons. Per department, the yields do fluctuate somewhat due to growth conditions. For example, the hectare yield in Nord-Pas-de-Calais is 4% lower this year (42.2 tons/ha) and the yield in Champagne-Ardenne is also lower. On the other hand, in Picardy, 5% more was harvested on average. Cultivation grows three times faster than processing The French potato industry has high ambitions regarding the expansion of processing capacity. More potatoes are needed for this: 5% per year. Growers have largely responded to the calls from factories in recent years. Combined with a low grain and beet price, processing potatoes offered an attractive alternative. Thus, the area increased by 24,000 hectares (15.6%) in 2024 and by 25,884 hectares (16%) in 2025. The growth in cultivation is therefore three times faster than the increase in processing, which is not faring doing poorly at all! Farmers in the country have certainly sown more grain. According to government figures, the wheat area increases by 2.3% to 4.6 million hectares. This is comparable to the five-year average. The barley area grows by 3.1% to 1.23 million hectares, and the canola area by 6.4% to 1.34 million hectares. Favorable conditions for sowing have contributed to this. The harsh reality is that in the short term, read: 2026 and 2027, a significant correction is needed to bring the sector back into balance. On one hand, the area and the harvest, and on the other hand, the processing, linked to the demand for potato products. How this will play out in practice remains to be seen, as factories have hardly submitted any contracts. Volume reduction The first signals are not very positive, insiders report. Aside from price reductions, the volume to be supplied is being reduced. Growers across the EU-4 are facing this, but in parts of France probably even more. In the most extreme case, it is being talked about a 50% volume reduction per grower when the transport distance to the customer is large and when the quality of the potatoes has been inadequate before. The possibilities for storage, dry loading, and cleaning also play a role in the decisions of customers. For potato growers in the country, this is a hard blow. Barely a year ago, all signals were still green. Clarebout built a brand new factory in Dunkirk, and already enlarged its capacity there once. McCain has been modernizing its three French factories for some time. The Belgian Ecofrost started building a new fries factory in Péronne in spring 2024, which is set to start operating in March 2026, with a capacity of 400,000 tons of fries per year. The other Belgian company, Agristo, temporarily halted the construction of its new factory at the beginning of October. Reportedly, this work will resume.