French processors are holding up remarkably well

Potato processors in France have increased production volumes again in February. Volumes are in line with the previous season, which is remarkable. However, potato exports are lower. At the same time, the market is under pressure, with 1.34 million tonnes of unsold free potatoes. During February, 155,713 tonnes of potatoes were processed in France. This is 11.5% more than in January, according to figures from processors' organization GIPT. Resulting in 16,123 tonnes of finished product. The factories have especially sourced more contract potatoes from growers. This amounts to 20,000 tonnes more than in January. Free potatoes continue to see little interest. Only 2,300 tonnes have been processed, which is 100 tonnes less than in the first month of this year. No decline In the eight months of the current processing season, 1.24 million tonnes of fries potatoes have been processed. This is nearly the same as the same period in the previous season. It's quite surprising when looking at the situation in, for example, the Netherlands. There, a clear decline has been seen, particularly since this year. Due to new factories, such as those from Clarebout, and more processing lines, the production capacity in the country has increased significantly. In the 2024/25 season, 18.6% more potatoes were processed than the previous season, which shows how significant that leap has been. It is particularly remarkable that the French are able to maintain this pace now. Not everything is positive for the French. The processing during February was 8% lower than in the same month a year earlier. Therefore, it is questionable whether the factories can keep the gap with last season so small. On one hand, this is good news for the growers, but it doesn't mean that the market is therefore more positive. It remains just as weak as elsewhere in the EU-4. A positive note is the export of frozen fries, which is 13% above last season. Surpluses In 2024, processors had to process 7.65 million tonnes of potatoes. This season, that number is 8.54 million tonnes. With constant processing, there will therefore be 892,000 tonnes left in the market. This does not include the additional imported volume. So far this season, 320,000 tonnes have been imported, compared to 263,000 tonnes last season. Consumption potatoes export lags behind The gap in the export of consumption potatoes is larger in France. The tally up to January stands at 1.73 million tonnes. This is 217,000 tonnes or 11% less than in the same period last season. Almost all destinations took fewer potatoes. Exports to Belgium have decreased by 12% and to Spain by 9.3%. Italy, the third-largest destination. Exports to the Netherlands has even halved, but this concerns relatively few tonnes. This is evident from figures from the industry organization CNIPT. French exporters are struggling with an overcrowded potato market in Europe, making it extremely difficult to create more space for potatoes. In Germany, however, this has worked, with exports increasing by 16%. A very low price level helps somewhat to generate extra sales, but it doesn't come easily. Free growers under pressure The total potato surplus in France is, according to growers' organization UNPT, significantly larger when looking solely at processing volumes. At the end of February, 3.3 million tonnes were in French potato storage, which is 32% more than in February last year. This represents 800,000 tonnes. Of the harvested volume, 40% remained in stock. The largest portion (44% or 2.2 million tonnes) consists of fries potatoes. The stock of table potatoes was 12.5% or 1.09 million tonnes larger. By avoiding free potatoes, which saw 80% fewer purchased than last season, this stock is exceptionally large. This amounts to 430,000 tonnes for which hardly any buyer can be found. This is still significantly less than the table segment, which had 900,000 tonnes without a buyer last month. The situation is similar in Germany, where at the start of this year, 1.23 million tonnes were still without a buyer in storage.