Dutch seed potato market looks stable, but Fontane supply tightens

The Dutch seed potato market appears stable on the surface in 2026, but the underlying picture is more selective. While Dutch ware and starch potato growers reduced acreage sharply after 2025 oversupply, seed potato area remained almost unchanged. However, the key signal for processors is not the total seed area, but the shift in variety mix. Fontane, the main Dutch French fry variety, has fallen sharply, pointing to tighter processing-grade seed availability for the 2026/27 planting cycle.