Potato cultivation in Hungary has declined to 5,065 hectares in 2026, while reduced acreage and weather-related crop losses are affecting supplies across Europe.
Following earlier oversupply, growers in Germany, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands reduced planting areas for 2026 by 11 to 14 per cent. Belgium recorded a 16.6 per cent reduction, the Netherlands 15.1 per cent, and France just under 10 per cent.
According to France's National Union of Potato Growers (UNPT), the French table potato harvest is estimated to have fallen 23 per cent year-on-year, equivalent to nearly two million tons. Average yields reached 37.4 tons per hectare, with grower losses estimated at €400 million (approximately US$470 million).
Heat and drought have also affected yields and tuber quality in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands, particularly on non-irrigated land.
In Hungary, potato acreage declined from nearly 63,000 hectares in 1997 to approximately 7,800 to 8,000 hectares in 2025. The 2025 harvest totalled 221,000 tons.
Late frosts caused losses of 20 to 30 per cent in Hungary's early potato crop this year, followed by summer drought.
Hungary relies on imports from Western Europe, Egypt, and Israel to supplement domestic supplies. Reduced European harvests are creating additional supply constraints, while growers face increasing pressure to invest in irrigation infrastructure.
Source - https://www.freshplaza.com
