As the 2025/2026 campaign looms on the horizon, the National Union of Potato Producers (UNPT) has issued a call for caution and strategic thinking for French potato producers. In a recent press release, the UNPT highlighted the sector’s 7% growth in the surface area dedicated to storage potatoes in 2024, emphasizing that this surge reflects years of development work and opens new perspectives for producers.
Balancing Expansion and Stability in the Market
However, while the expansion is promising, the UNPT warns that the rapid growth of potato production, both in France and across Europe, requires careful attention. To maintain the sector’s stability in fresh, industrial, and starch outlets, producers must remain vigilant. The announcement of new processing plants in France, which predict an increased demand of more than 40,000 hectares by 2030, is encouraging, but many of these facilities are not yet operational or even built. This uncertainty highlights the need for balance between production capacity and market demand.
Potatoes as an Economic Alternative: Opportunities and Risks
Amid current challenges in the cereal market and broader economic difficulties within agriculture, the UNPT recognizes that many farmers are looking to potatoes as a viable economic alternative. While the organization supports these diversification efforts, it strongly emphasizes the importance of a well-prepared approach before making the switch. The potato industry requires a healthy cash flow, significant investments, technical expertise, and proper cold storage infrastructure to manage volumes and prevent sales below production costs.
The Impact of Climate Hazards on Profitability
Increasingly unpredictable climate conditions are another critical factor. Extreme weather, such as the severe drought of 2022 or the excessive rainfall in 2023 that left fields unharvested, poses significant risks to profitability. These climatic challenges further complicate the expansion of potato production, making strategic planning essential.
Risks of Oversupply and Market Instability
The UNPT also cautions that increasing the surface area dedicated to potatoes without corresponding immediate demand could lead to oversupply in future campaigns. This oversupply could destabilize prices and threaten market balance for several years, jeopardizing the financial viability of both new and established potato farms.
The Role of Collective Management and Producer Organizations
To mitigate these risks, the UNPT emphasizes the importance of collective management and sector structuring. Producer organizations play a crucial role in securing contracts with processors and adjusting production volumes based on actual market needs. The UNPT specifically addresses producers supplying recently established Belgian fries factories in France, urging them to organize into groups. Collective strategy, according to the UNPT, is essential for safeguarding income and ensuring the stability of the broader potato sector.
UNPT’s Commitment to a Controlled Development
While the French potato sector holds tremendous development potential, the UNPT stresses that growth must be carefully managed. The organization is committed to supporting producers through this expansion, offering guidance to ensure that development is based on reasoned choices and collective management.
Together, the UNPT and French producers can build a sustainable future for the potato industry, driven by strategic, farmer-led decision-making.
Source: UNPT. Original news release in the French language
Translation: By Potato News Today
Image: Credit Maria from Pixabay
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