Potato growers squeezed with ex-farm prices under pressure

Free-buy potato prices have slipped sharply in recent months, with plentiful supplies across mainland Europe depressing the market.

The UK planted area is estimated to have remained broadly in line with last year’s levels at about 120,000ha for 2025, which is likely to result in a potato crop of roughly 4.5m to 5m tonnes.

This puts UK production at a relatively low level by historic standards, but prices are still expected to remain under pressure due to forecasts for an exceptionally large European crop this year.

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European potato futures have plummeted during the past six months, falling from €22.51/100kg (£195/t) in mid-March to €7.70/100kg (£67/t) on 9 September for the April 2026 contract.

Potato growers have reported mixed yields across the UK this season, depending on levels of rainfall, with dry conditions leading to some quality concerns.

Washed whites have typically been trading at between £250/t to £350/t, with the best quality approaching £400/t.

Accord has been quoted at between £120/t and £180/t for new crop, while Sagitta has been closer to the £200/t mark.

Meanwhile, old crop has increasingly been sold at a discount to clear excess stock as increased volumes of new crop come to market.

Growers supplying potatoes on contracts are faring slightly better, however reports from industry suggest that some buyers are imposing stricter checks on quality specifications.

This has resulted in a greater number of rejections.

There is also speculation that a few merchants may even potentially struggle to honour all their existing contracts, due to a lull in demand.

The Irish Farmers’ Association says trading remains very difficult across Europe, as factories restrict their purchases solely to contracts.

Overall, demand continues to be poor, however an element of seasonal uplift is expected throughout September.

Global outlook

Analysts at multinational banking group Rabobank note that emerging markets, such as China and India, have shifted from being net importers to net exporters and are expected to keep growing market share.

Cindy van Rijswick, global strategist at Rabobank, said:

“Though per capita consumption levels of processed potato products are still relatively low outside of North America, Europe, and Oceania, they are rapidly growing in other regions, like Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.

“In the US and Europe, average yields are already high, and raising them increasingly challenges producers.”