Potato area in Flanders shows unprecedented shift

The area planted with ware potatoes in Flanders is set to plunge by 23% this year. If the figures from the Flemish Ministry of Agriculture are correct, it is fair to describe this as a seismic shift within the potato sector. The seed potato area is also expected to fall by one fifth.At the end of May, Viaverda had already indicated a possible reduction in planted area of 20%, based on its own limited survey. However, according to the CAP declaration figures (combined application), the Flemish Ministry of Agriculture estimates an even steeper decline, with 23% fewer ware potatoes being grown. This brings the total area down to 47,561 hectares.Seed potato production is expected to shrink to 1,465 hectares, representing a 20% decrease compared with 2025, when a record 1,840 hectares was planted.Last week, figures for Wallonia were also released. According to the official declarations, Walloon potato growers reduced their planted area by 12%, bringing the total area to 42,803 hectares. Area down by 16.3%As a result, Belgium’s total ware potato area stands at 90,364 hectares, representing a nationwide decline of 16.3%. This reduction is significantly greater than the declines recorded in France and Germany, which were announced last month.The total planted area is now at its lowest level since 2021 and effectively wipes out the expansion efforts made by the processing industry. Potato processors had encouraged growers to increase production, leading to four consecutive years of strong growth in planted area.One factor contributing to this sharp decline is the situation in the early ware potato segment. In Flanders, the area devoted to early potatoes has almost halved, falling by 48%, as the processing industry has little demand for them. The area planted with maincrop storage potatoes has declined by 19%, according to the Flemish Ministry of Agriculture.More cerealsFlemish farmers have sown 9% more cereals this year. Winter barley and grain maize, in particular, have seen increased plantings. The onion area has also recorded modest growth. This year it stands at 5,016 hectares, 11% higher than a year earlier.Onions are therefore an exception to the general trend. Overall vegetable production has declined by 5%. The increase in grain maize is particularly noteworthy given that the area of forage maize has contracted by 6%. There has, however, been an increase in grass and grass-clover sowings.Based on the five-year average potato yield of 41.28 tonnes per hectare, the Belgian harvest could reach 3.73 million tonnes. This would also be the lowest level since 2021, when 3.64 million tonnes of ware potatoes were harvested.Compared with last year, this represents a reduction of no less than 1.23 million tonnes, or approximately 25% less than was harvested in 2025. Whether this will be sufficient to restore balance to the potato market remains an open question.