'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, producer organization UNPT held its annual congress in Arras. Chairman Geoffroy d'Evry did not mince words. A contract that only commits to 30 tonnes 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. Last year, the area of consumption potatoes reached a record amount of 196,000 hectares. An increase of 14% compared to 2024 and a quarter more than the five-year average. 80% of this area is located in northern France. In the heart of this region, UNPT organized its annual congress on January 29 in Arras, during the Pom Pro trade fair. Dangerous contracts The contract proposals presented to French growers are similar to those in the Netherlands and Belgium. At the congress, it became clear that processors are pushing for a reduction in area of 10% to 15%. The price drop in many contracts is comparable. Additionally, potato growers can often secure fewer tonnes at a fixed price. Unacceptable, says UNPT chairman Geoffroy d'Evry. A contract of 30 tonnes per hectare is not a contract. It is simply a way to bind a grower to a buyer. Such agreements can be dangerous. The advantage in the proposals is too one-sided. UNPT threatens to take measures if buyers do not adopt a more accommodating stance towards growers. Starting with approaching the unions. Furthermore, the organization sees opportunities in European policy to establish more producer organizations for fries, chips, flakes, and starch potatoes. Within the new framework, growers are allowed to unite and make price agreements to protect themselves against the power of buyers. In the Netherlands, the Producers Organization Consumption Potatoes (POC) has a similar goal, which is partly inspired by the French growers' organization Gappi. The difference is that this organization, with 850 members, exclusively supplies the three McCain factories. Area reduction UNPT is clear that a reduction in area is necessary to rebalance the French market. How much the area will decrease, the organization does not yet want to estimate. Discussions point to a reduction of 10% to 15%. In the latter case, the cultivation would shrink by 29,400 hectares, making a total of 166,600 hectares still more than was cultivated in 2023 and 5% more than the five-year average. Calculated with the average five-year yield of 40.84 tonnes per hectare, the theoretical yield comes to 6.8 million tonnes. Significantly less than the 8.5 million tonnes harvested last year and also 200,000 tonnes less than the five-year average. More than one million tonnes of consumption potatoes are estimated to hang over the French market this season, for which a place must be found. The processing industry shows that there is absolutely no need for additional potatoes. In January, companies only purchased 33 tonnes of free potatoes. The total for this season (since July) stands at 7,000 tonnes. In contrast, 284,000 tonnes have already been imported this current season. French potato processing declined by 16% in January compared to last year. Critical phase The French potato sector is currently going through a critical phase, says d'Evry. It is not the first time there have been problems, but the big difference is that the risks are now much greater. The cost price increased by 45% between 2020 and 2025. Therefore, the market needs to be reorganized again. UNPT wants to start by sitting down with the processors' organization CNIPT to find solutions together.