In the dynamic landscape of European Union (EU) agriculture, the potato production sector has witnessed a mix of fluctuations and trends, culminating in a notable uptick in 2023. Despite a long-term decline in harvested potato production over the years, the year 2023 saw a slight increase in output compared to 2022, with 48.3 million tonnes of potatoes harvested across the EU, surpassing the previous year’s yield of 47.5 million tonnes.
The trajectory of potato production in the EU reveals a significant decrease from historical levels, with the 2023 production volume standing at 27.9 million tonnes lower than that of 2000, marking a substantial decline of 36.7% over the course of two decades. These insights are drawn from a comprehensive Statistics Explained article released by Eurostat, shedding light on various aspects of potato farming in the EU, including production levels, prices, and trade dynamics.
On a country-specific level, Germany emerged as the leading producer of potatoes within the EU in 2023, contributing 11.6 million tonnes (24.0% of the EU total) to the overall harvest. Following closely behind were France (17.9%) and the Netherlands (13.4%), collectively accounting for the majority share (55.4%) of the EU’s potato production for the year.
While potato cultivation remains a significant agricultural activity within the EU, the adoption of organic farming practices in this sector is relatively limited. Out of the 1.0 million farms producing potatoes in the EU in 2020, only 25,000 farms employed organic production methods, representing a mere 2.5% of the total potato-producing farms. Notably, Austria stood out with the highest proportion of farms engaging in organic potato production, with 25.6% of its potato-producing farms adopting organic practices, underscoring a growing trend towards sustainable and environmentally friendly farming methods in certain EU regions.
