Greece: Growers Get €0.30–0.50/kg for Potatoes as Costs Climb and Autumn Plantings Fall
Key takeaways
- 30% fewer potatoes were planted in Serres this season
- 1,100 euros per tonne is the new fertiliser price level
- 80,000–90,000 t is the expected Nevrokopi potato crop
- 2.5–3 t per stremma was the Thiva yield, down from 5.5–6
Why it matters
- For farmers
- Cost every stremma before autumn planting. Sell through groups that can prove Nevrokopi origin, and compare potatoes with alternatives such as strawberries.
- For traders
- Expect thinner Greek supply next winter and spring. Line up import sources early and check origin claims on Nevrokopi packs.
- For suppliers
- Offer seed and fertiliser on credit or deferred terms, since growers are cutting area when upfront costs rise.
60-second summary
Greek potato farmers are missing the rally that lifted prices in north-west Europe. Across five regions, growers report farm prices between thirty and fifty cents per kilogram, while fertiliser costs almost doubled and growing costs in Kato Nevrokopi now exceed fourteen hundred euros per stremma. Yields fell sharply in places, with Thiva fields giving half of a normal crop, and Serres cut planted area by almost a third. Autumn plantings are down everywhere, and some growers in Ilia moved to strawberries. The likely result is thinner local supply next winter and spring, more room for imports, and louder demands to stop foreign potatoes being sold under the Nevrokopi name. Caution: the two farm outlets quote the same union leader with different price and cost figures, so regional numbers should be read as indications rather than official data.
Greek potato growers face a hard season. Yields are lower, costs are higher and prices do not cover the gap. Farm outlet Agrotypos surveyed growers in five regions on 25 September 2026.
Prices by region
- Drama (Kato Nevrokopi): quality potatoes earn €0.43 to €0.50 per kg. The harvest is only 20% to 30% complete. Yields are low.
- Kozani: the price is about €0.45 per kg. That is 10 to 15 cents above last year, when prices fell from €0.35 to €0.25. The local harvest is about 80% done. Output is down about 20%, or roughly one tonne per stremma (0.1 ha).
- Thiva: producer prices are €0.35 to €0.45 per kg. Some fields yielded 2.5 to 3 tonnes per stremma. In other years they gave 5.5 to 6 tonnes.
- Ilia: the summer crop sold at about €0.30 per kg ex-field. Growers say they need more than €0.50 per kg for a fair return.
- Serres: lifting will start in about a week. Plantings are down 30% after last year’s low prices.
Costs jump
Apostolos Vesmelis heads the farmers’ union of Kato Nevrokopi. He told Agrotypos that growing costs rose from about €1,000 per stremma to more than €1,400. Fertiliser rose from €600 to €1,100 per tonne. In Serres, seed potatoes cost €1.90 per kg.
A second report, by Ellinas Agrotis on 26 September, puts the Nevrokopi crop at 80,000 to 90,000 tonnes. The area covers 20,000 to 25,000 stremmata. Growers there hoped for at least €0.45 to €0.50 per kg. According to that report, wholesale prices often sit at €0.25 to €0.35 per kg. Growers also complain that Egyptian potatoes are sold under the Nevrokopi name.
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Fewer autumn plantings
Autumn plantings are sharply lower in all regions. Low prices last year and high costs discourage growers. In Ilia, many growers have switched to strawberries. Kozani growers now plant in stages in spring instead.
Why it matters
Greece is not seeing the price boost that north-west Europe enjoys after its poor harvest. Local prices rose only modestly, while fertiliser costs almost doubled. The squeeze is pushing growers out of the crop.
Fewer autumn plantings mean less Greek supply next winter and spring. That may open more room for imports. It also raises the pressure for clearer origin labelling of Nevrokopi potatoes.
Photo: A farmer in a potato field in Greece (illustrative). Kostas Vasilatos / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
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What next
Harvest in Drama is only 20–30% complete and Serres starts in about a week. The Ilia autumn crop is due in early December. Final prices will depend on how much Greek supply reaches the market and on imports.
Sources
- Agrotypos — Πατάτα: Πώς εξελίχθηκε η θερινή παραγωγή — https://www.agrotypos.gr/kalliergeies/patata/patata-pos-exelichthike-i-therini-paragogi-kai-pou-kymainontai-tora-oi-times-meiomenes-oi-fthinoporines-fytefseis
- Έλληνας Αγρότης — Πατάτα Νευροκοπίου: Καλή σοδειά, αλλά μικρά κέρδη — https://www.ellinasagrotis.gr/georgia/781700/patata-neyrokopioy-kali-sodeia-alla-mikra-kerdi-gia-toys-paragogoys/
- Θεσσαλική Γη — Νευροκόπι: Έως 90.000 τόνους — https://thessalikigi.gr/nevrokopi-eos-90-000-tonous-anamenetai-na-ftasei-i-fetini-paragogi-patatas/
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