France: Seed Potato Area Falls 2.4% to 23,800 ha as Drought Cuts Yields and Clouds Supply for 2027
Key takeaways
- 23,800 ha of seed potatoes were planted in France in 2026
- 2.4% less seed potato area than 24,400 ha in 2025 year
- 12 t/ha on some dry Normandy fields vs 38-40 t/ha irrigated
- 5 heatwaves above 35 °C damaged French seed potato crops
Why it matters
- For farmers
- Check seed orders for 2027 now and ask suppliers about the virus test status of each lot before the price review.
- For processors
- Plan contract volumes for 2027 with a risk of tighter certified seed supply and possible exceptions on seed tuber size.
- For traders
- Watch virus test results in the coming weeks: they will decide how many certified French seed lots reach export markets.
- For suppliers
- Expect higher demand for aphid control, virus testing and irrigation advice in seed production next season.
60-second summary
The area of seed potatoes in France fell 2.4% to 23,800 ha in 2026, from 24,400 ha in 2025, according to the national seed potato federation FN3PT. The drop was smaller than the 7% feared after unsold seed at the end of the previous season. Drought and five heatwaves above 35 °C then cut yields: some rainfed fields in Normandy gave no more than 12 t/ha, against 38 to 40 t/ha under irrigation on the same farm. The real supply of certified seed will be known only after laboratory tests, because aphid and leafhopper pressure was high and the federation expects infections with the viruses PVY and PLRV. The sector may request exceptions on tuber size and cracked tubers. Seed prices are expected to rise, but most contracts were signed in winter, and French law allows a price review for higher costs. The federation says demand for seed and the 2027 planting area in France and the EU cannot be estimated yet. Starch potato growers are described as big losers, without figures.
The area of seed potatoes in France fell to 23,800 hectares in 2026. This is 2.4% less than the 24,400 hectares planted in 2025.
The figures come from the national federation of seed potato producers (FN3PT). Its director, Bernard Quéré, gave the numbers in August and repeated them in an interview published on 23 September.
The decline was smaller than expected. According to him, the 2025–2026 season ended with unsold seed potatoes. At that time, the sector feared a drop in area of about 7%.
Weekdays. Unsubscribe in one click.
The season started well in spring. Then the drought and five heatwaves with temperatures above 35 °C damaged the crop.
In Normandy, some fields without irrigation gave no more than 12 tonnes per hectare. Irrigated fields on the same farm gave 38 to 40 tonnes per hectare. In the Limousin region, some growers reported only 3 to 5 tonnes per hectare without irrigation.
The final supply of certified seed will depend on laboratory tests. Early in the season, growers faced large waves of aphids and leafhoppers. The federation expects virus infections despite a special permit for two insecticides. According to the director, growers see symptoms of two viruses: PVY and PLRV.
When the test results are known, the sector may ask for exceptions to some quality standards. These include tuber size and the limit for cracked tubers.
Seed prices are expected to rise. However, most contracts between growers and seed collectors were signed in winter 2025–2026. French law allows a review of these prices to reflect higher production costs.
The director also said that it is impossible to know the demand for seed today. It is also impossible to know the potato area that will be planted in spring 2027, in France or in the European Union.
The same interview described losses in other parts of the chain. According to the article, growers of starch potatoes will be among the biggest losers of the year, with low yields and falling prices. The article gives no figures for starch potatoes.
Why it matters
France is one of the largest exporters of seed potatoes in Europe. A smaller and weaker seed crop can raise seed costs for ware and processing growers in 2027. It can also limit the choice of certified lots for export buyers. The virus test results in the coming weeks will show how much seed is really available.
Our report on the 30-year low in French potato yields was published on 23 September.
Photo: A traditional wheel used to space seed potatoes, Eysines, France (illustrative). Als33120 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Global Potato Brief
Top five stories, prices, disease alerts and events. Weekday mornings, no advertising.
What next
Laboratory virus test results will show how much seed can be certified. The sector may then request exceptions on tuber size and cracked tubers. Demand for seed and the 2027 planting area in France and the EU are not known yet.
Sources
- Le Betteravier français, interview with Bernard Quéré (FN3PT), 23.09.2026 — https://www.lebetteravier.fr/2026/09/23/secheresse-canicule-pas-de-gagnants-que-des-perdants/
- Terre-net, content by La Pomme de terre française, 21.08.2026 — https://www.terre-net.fr/pommes-de-terre/article/902321/plants-de-pomme-de-terre-surfaces-et-rendement-en-baisse
- Note: both sources quote the same FN3PT statement.
Linked in this material
- Country
- France
- Companies
- FN3PT; UNPT; CNIPT
- Technologies
- irrigation; virus testing
- Sections
- EuropeGrowing seedsNewsSeeds
Related stories
France: Supermarket Potato Prices Still Below Last Year Despite a Drought-Hit Harvest, Industry Bulletin Shows
Poland: Wholesale Potato Prices Rise 62% Year on Year as the Harvest Heads for About 6 Million Tonnes
