“It is a year that will be difficult from a commercial point of view,” complains Baudouin Dewulf, in front of a tractor overloaded with potatoes. Belgium, the kingdom of French fries, is seeing record potato harvests, but this is not good news for farmers facing falling prices and exports.
On his farm in Geer, in the east of the country, Baudouin Dewulf describes a market that is “a little congested” after so many years of prosperity in which Belgian fries sold like hotcakes around the world.
Producers of frozen French fries, which absorb most of the production, have been hit by a triple penalty: customs duties in the key market of the United States, a strong euro that penalizes exports and the emergence of competitors in India, China and Egypt. All this while Belgium produces more and more: about five million tons of potatoes are expected in 2025, an increase of 11% compared to 2024, almost half a ton per inhabitant, according to Belpotato.
Thanks to the success of French fries, the pride of the country, the cultivated areas have continuously increased. Chip shops are a national institution and chains with evocative names like Fritapapa have become huge commercial successes.
The industry has grown significantly in ten years, making Belgium the largest European producer of French fries and the world’s leading exporter. In 2024, the country will export more than three billion euros in potato products, three times more than in 2015, according to data from Eurostat, the statistical agency of the European Union.
End of the frenzy
Constant global demand and the rise of fast food in Asia and the Middle East have stimulated investments, explains Christophe Vermeulen, director of the Belgapom professional group.
In this golden decade, factories sought to produce more and more. Potato prices have reached record highs in recent years, causing a farming frenzy.
Producers in Belgium, but also in France, the Netherlands and Germany, which also supply Belgian potato chip producers, have added another 40,000 hectares to their cultivated areas this year, an increase of 7% compared to 2024, according to sector figures. But the situation has changed, in a context of trade tensions with Donald Trump and increasingly fierce competition, particularly from Asia.
Belgian exports of frozen French fries fell by 6.1% between June 2024 and June 2025, according to industry figures. Most potatoes are sold under contracts concluded before harvest, but on the open market this drop in exports combined with record production has caused potato prices to fall to around €15 per tonne, from a high of almost €600 last year.
While many farmers benefit from guaranteed income through seasonal contracts with chip manufacturers, some will have to review their investments and prepare for tough negotiations next year. “The Belgian potato industry is in restart mode,” concludes Christophe Vermeulen.
Source: BFM TV
