Italy: Potato Imports Top 800,000 Tonnes a Year Against a 1.41 Million-Tonne Crop
Italy grew 1.41 million tonnes of potatoes on 49,270 hectares in 2025, Eurostat data show. Imports exceed 800,000 tonnes a year, mainly from France and Germany.
Italy produced 1,413,380 tonnes of potatoes in 2025 on 49,270 hectares, according to Eurostat. This gives an average yield of about 28.7 tonnes per hectare. The market research firm Agroter, in its Monitor Ortofrutta analysis published by Italiafruit News in February 2026, put national output at about 1.3 million tonnes. It said 2025 area was 4% above and volume 3% above the 2020–2024 average.
Regions
Agroter says Campania is the largest potato region and is close to 10,000 hectares. Abruzzo, which includes the Fucino plain, increased its area by 25% in 2025. Veneto remains the main producer in the north. Emilia-Romagna, Sicily and other southern regions are also important, especially for early potatoes.
A long fall in area
In 2000, Italy grew 2,067,500 tonnes of potatoes on 83,200 hectares, according to Eurostat. By 2013, the area had fallen to about 50,000 hectares. Since then, it has stayed between about 45,000 and 50,000 hectares, and output between 1.27 and 1.43 million tonnes. For 2026, Eurostat lists 45,570 hectares, about 7.5% less than in 2025.
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Strong import dependence
Agroter says Italy imports more than 800,000 tonnes of potatoes a year, worth over €300 million. France and Germany supply more than 60% of the volume. Imports from Egypt reached a record of more than 100,000 tonnes in 2024. Imports are therefore equal to more than half of domestic output.
Demand is growing. Agroter says fresh potatoes make up about 67% of retail potato sales by value, frozen products 26% and other processed products 7%. Prices fell by 8 points in 2025 but stayed about 30 points above 2021 levels, it said.
Why it matters
Italy is one of the largest potato markets in southern Europe and a key destination for French and German exporters. Its own area has been stable for a decade, while imports keep rising. A smaller 2026 area could increase that gap further.
The Italian sector also has a strong early-potato calendar in the south. This competes directly with Egyptian imports in spring. Growers in Campania, Sicily and Abruzzo will watch both import prices and the 2026 area data closely.
Photo: Potato field in Italy, 1962 (illustrative). Unknown author / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
