Europe's heatwave adds new uncertainty to the 2026 potato season

Europe's potato sector has entered the critical tuber initiation and bulking stage of the 2026 season under renewed weather pressure. A late-June heatwave, limited rainfall, and rising crop water demand have pushed yield potential and processing quality back into question across key growing regions. The EC JRC's forecast has already pointed towards softer output in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and Poland, with France standing out as an exception. As a result, processors face the risk of both lower average yield and a smaller share of processing-grade supply as harvest approaches.