Belgium: Flanders Faces Weakest Potato Yield Since 2018 at 33.6 t/ha
Key takeaways
- 33.6 t/ha projected yield in Flanders, lowest since 2018
- 20 to 21% below the average yield, says Boerenbond
- 23% less potato area planted in Belgium, says Boerenbond
- 32 t/ha for Belgian processing varieties, reports ECIU
Why it matters
- For farmers
- Report expected shortfalls to contract buyers early and check force majeure clauses; hold free-market stock for later in the season.
- For processors
- Review size specifications for this crop and secure extra raw material in the Netherlands and France before competition peaks.
- For traders
- Expect strong Belgian demand for large tubers from neighbouring countries; price large sizes at a premium.
60-second summary
Belgian potato factories face a thin raw material base this autumn. The Flemish farmers union Boerenbond projects an average yield of 33.6 tonnes per hectare, roughly a fifth under the long-term level and the weakest result since 2018. Heat and drought did most of the damage, but a planted area cut of 23 percent after the oversupplied 2025 season deepens the shortfall. An independent analysis by the climate group ECIU puts Belgian losses at 21 percent below the five-year average and says only half of the processing crop meets size specifications, with such varieties yielding about 32 tonnes per hectare. For the frozen fries sector, the world export leader, this means more imports, harder competition for large tubers and pressure on contract deliveries. Field results vary widely, and the Boerenbond figure differs from earlier trial dig data, so final Belgian statistics may still shift.
Flanders is heading for its poorest potato harvest in eight years. The Flemish farmers’ union Boerenbond said heat and drought in recent months cut yields sharply.
The average yield is projected at 33.6 tonnes per hectare. This is the lowest level since 2018, when yields reached 33.4 t/ha, according to the Belgian farm weekly Landbouwleven.
“We are seeing a yield per hectare 20 to 21% below average,” said Boerenbond spokesperson Tessa De Prins. She added that results vary widely between fields. Some fields did worse, while others came close to the five-year average.
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Smaller area adds to the loss
Belgian growers also planted much less this year. Boerenbond cited a 23% cut in planted area. Many farmers reduced area after the very large 2025 crop pushed prices down.
The UK-based Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) reached a similar conclusion. In an analysis published on 17 September, it estimated Belgian yields at 21% below the five-year average. This was the largest loss among the four main North-West European producers.
ECIU also reported that processing varieties in Belgium yielded only 32 tonnes per hectare. That is about 30% less than last year. Only about half of the crop met processor size requirements, the group said.
Across Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands, ECIU estimated drought losses at 3.1 million tonnes of potatoes. It valued the loss for producers at €405–622 million.
Pressure on the fries industry
Belgium is the largest exporter of frozen fries in the world. Its processors rely on local contract growers and on imports from neighbouring countries. Dutch export data already show strong Belgian buying of Dutch potatoes this summer.
Short tubers and small sizes make it harder to produce long fries. Processors may need to accept more small potatoes or pay more for scarce large ones.
Why it matters
A yield of 33.6 t/ha, combined with a much smaller area, means a tight raw material supply for Belgian factories. Contract growers may struggle to deliver agreed volumes. Processors will compete harder for free-market potatoes in Belgium and in neighbouring countries through the storage season.
Photo: A potato field in the Walloon Region of Belgium (illustrative). Hossey didier / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
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What next
Harvest continues into October. Official figures from Statbel and further trial digs will show the final Belgian crop size.
Sources
- Landbouwleven — Slechtste aardappeloogst in 8 jaar in Vlaanderen — https://www.landbouwleven.be/26214/article/2026-09-18/slechtste-aardappeloogst-8-jaar-vlaanderen
- ECIU — Chips are down: summer drought knocks over 3 million tonnes off UK and Europe's potato crop — https://eciu.net/media/press-releases/chips-are-down-summer-drought-knocks-over-3-million-tonnes-off-uk-and-europes-potato-crop
Linked in this material
- Country
- Belgium
- Companies
- Boerenbond; ECIU
- Sections
- EuropeHarvestingNewsProcessing
