North-West Europe: NEPG Puts 2026 Crop at 20.7 Million Tonnes, One of the Smallest in a Decade
NEPG puts the EU-4 crop at about 20.7 million tonnes, down 25.4% on 2025, after a smaller planted area and July–August heat and drought cut yields.
North-western European growers estimate the 2026 potato crop in the EU-4 countries — the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and France — at around 20.7 million tonnes — down 25.4% on 2025, with area down 13.7% to 521,500 ha — one of the smallest harvests of the past decade, according to the North-western European Potato Growers (NEPG).
The short crop reflects a difficult season: a smaller planted area after the 2025 surplus combined with heat and drought in July and August to cut yields, particularly for the processing variety Fontane, where final Belgian trial digs on 21 September averaged 38.2 t/ha, the lowest since the series began in 2008.
Processors relying on free-buy potatoes face a tight market. With contract volumes largely committed, spot prices for suitable processing lots have held steady, at around €20 per 100 kg for Fontane in Belgium.
The smaller European crop also reshapes export flows. Early-season shipments of ware potatoes to southern Europe and North Africa started cautiously, with exporters prioritizing quality lots given secondary growth reported in parts of West Flanders after the hot spells.
NEPG cautions that final figures may shift as the late harvest concludes, but the direction is clear: the 2026/27 season will be one of disciplined supply management for growers, processors and traders across the region.
Sources: FreshPlaza, 15 Sep 2026 (NEPG estimate); Commodity Board, 1 Oct 2026; top agrar, 16 Sep 2026
