Germany’s 2026 potato harvest is producing very different results from region to region, according to farmer reports collected by the agricultural publication top agrar and published on 17 September. The reported yields range from 3 to 58.5 tonnes per hectare.
The weakest results come from Bavaria. Farmers reported 3 t/ha in Adelschlag, 3.5 t/ha in Hirschaid and 12 t/ha in Thalmässing. In the north the picture is much better: a farm in Edemissen in Lower Saxony reported 55 t/ha, and a farm in Lützow in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania also reported yields above 50 t/ha.
According to top agrar, processing potatoes were trading at about €240 per tonne, while table potatoes fetched €270–280 per tonne.
Weekdays. Unsubscribe in one click.
These are individual farm reports, not official statistics, and they have not been confirmed by a second source.
Context
The German potato area is smaller this year. The industry association UNIKA said in August that potatoes were planted on slightly more than 268,000 hectares, about 11% less than in 2025.
The regional spread helps explain national estimates of the loss. A recent analysis by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit put the drought-related loss to the German crop at 1.13 million tonnes; POTATOES NEWS examined those figures earlier this week.
Why it matters
A national average can hide the fact that some growers have almost no crop while others have a normal one. For processors and packers sourcing in Germany, the split means supply will depend heavily on the north. For southern growers with contract obligations, shortfalls of this size raise questions about delivery clauses and force majeure. Traders should expect southern German buyers to look north and abroad for raw material in the coming months. With processing potatoes at about €240 per tonne and table potatoes at €270–280, northern growers with normal yields are the ones best placed to benefit from this season.
Photo: Potato harvester in Germany (illustrative). JoachimKohler-HB / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
