French potatoes faced with record harvest

The National Union of French Potato Producers (UNPT) has unveiled its initial forecasts for the 2025 season. French production is set to reach a record level this year (possibly exceeding 8.5 million tons), due to an exceptional increase in acreage. Faced with this situation, the union is calling for “strict compliance with contracts and the rejection of destructive prices in order to preserve the economic value of the harvest and national production.”

Almost 900,000 tons more than last year
“With an estimated average yield of 43 t/ha, slightly lower than in 2024 (-5%), French production of ware potatoes could reach 8.5 million tons, which is almost 900,000 tons more than last year. This is the highest level in more than ten years, thanks to an exceptional increase in acreage to 197,000 hectares (+25% since 2023).

These projections are based on the first harvest trends. Not everything has emerged from the ground yet, but they already reflect a strong dynamic, confirming the warnings issued by UNPT for over a year about the risks of production volumes exceeding the real capacity of the market to date. In a complicated international economic context for the export of finished products, the priority is clear: to preserve the economic value of the French harvest.”

“Reject destructive prices”
“The free market already illustrates this fragility. Prices for early varieties are falling to levels close to 0€/t. Accepting these conditions means feeding a destructive spiral and working at a loss. Producers must not fall into this trap. They must categorically refuse to supply at these destructive price levels! The fresh market, although also under pressure, is showing better prospects at this stage.”

“Contracts must be respected”
“Faced with this situation, the contract remains the central tool for economic stability, provided that it is applied without revision, without withdrawal, and without undue pressure on approvals – excesses that have unfortunately been observed in recent months. Respect must also be reciprocal. It is up to producers to provide quality that complies with the specifications, which is a determining factor in creating value. UNPT will continue to provide its full support to producers and their representative organizations, particularly on the legal front, to ensure that these contractual commitments are firmly respected.”

“A campaign to be steered collectively to its conclusion”
“Although the 2025 campaign is starting in a peculiar climate, it is nevertheless part of a long-term process and needs to be steered with collective responsibility, particularly across the sector, until the summer of 2026. UNPT will play its part in this process by continuing to analyze and advise on the markets, by supporting producers and their organizations in all their defense requests, and by working to open up new alternative ways of adding value to non-contracted volumes.”

Tags: crop forecast, France, potato