Belgian potato stocks peak as sales stall

Belgian potato stocks at the beginning of April 2026 stand at 2.6 million tonnes, the highest level in at least five years. This is shown by a survey by Fiwap, Carah and Inagro/Viaverda among 208 growers. Stocks are 44% higher than last year. The high stock level is mainly the result of difficult sales. By February, around 2 million tonnes had been delivered, mainly under contract. In February and March, sales fell sharply. The free market in particular was affected: sales of free potatoes were 43% lower than average. Part of these volumes went to alternative outlets such as animal feed and fermentation. Of the current stock, about 1.9 million tonnes is under contract and around 700,000 tonnes is free. The free stock is therefore relatively large and difficult to place, which increases pressure on the market. Belgium harvested a total of 4.96 million tonnes of storage potatoes in 2025. Of this, including potatoes delivered as extra loads, 3.71 million tonnes were fixed under contract. The harvest of free potatoes came to 1.25 million tonnes. Including early potatoes, the total harvest amounted to 5.3 million tonnes. That is more than 1 million tonnes above the five-year average of 4.25 million tonnes.