South Korea: Spring Potato Crop Rises 1.5% to 361,167 Tonnes in 2026
Better weather in April and May lifted South Korea's 2026 spring potato crop to 361,167 tonnes, after a weak 2025 when both the spring and highland crops fell by about 10%.
South Korea harvested 361,167 tonnes of spring potatoes in 2026. This is 1.5% more than the 355,698 tonnes of 2025, according to the national statistics office (National Data Office, formerly Statistics Korea). The office published the survey on 8 September 2026.
The planted area was almost the same: 14,897 hectares in 2026 against 14,927 hectares a year earlier, a fall of 0.2%. The gain came from yield. Farmers harvested 2,424 kg per 10 ares, up from 2,383 kg (+1.7%). That equals about 24.2 tonnes per hectare. The office said the weather in April and May was better than in 2025. The average temperature rose from 14.9°C to 16.2°C, and sunshine grew from 459 to 474 hours.
Where the crop grows
Spring potatoes are spread across the country. South Chungcheong was the largest producer with 61,648 tonnes, or 17.1% of the total. The merged Gwangju–South Jeolla area followed with 56,623 tonnes (15.7%), and Gangwon with 56,190 tonnes (15.6%). North Gyeongsang produced about 49,000 tonnes and Gyeonggi about 39,000 tonnes.
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A weak 2025 season
The 2026 recovery follows a poor year. In 2025 the spring crop fell by 10.5%. The area fell by 3.8% and the yield by 7.0%. The office named low prices and a lack of sunshine during growth as the main reasons.
The summer highland crop, grown almost only in Gangwon (99.9% of the total), also fell in 2025. Output was 114,307 tonnes, down 9.5% from 126,339 tonnes. It was the lowest level since 2018, when the crop was 91,811 tonnes. The highland area fell 8.2% to 3,605 hectares, and yield fell 1.5% to 3,171 kg per 10 ares. The office linked the smaller area to very high temperatures at harvest time in August and September in western Gangwon.
Prices reacted. In October 2025 the wholesale price was 45,387 won per 20 kg bag, about 30% more than the 34,669 won of October 2024. The autumn crop was expected at about 25,000 tonnes, some 10% lower.
Why it matters
South Korea has several potato seasons, but the spring crop is by far the largest. A normal spring harvest in 2026 should ease the price pressure of late 2025. Still, the country depends on a small highland area in Gangwon for summer supply, and heat there can cut volumes quickly.
Korean media connected the weak 2025 highland crop with worries about potato supply for French fries. Buyers who need summer and autumn raw material should watch Gangwon weather and the next highland survey, due in late 2026.
Photo: Potato tubers (not South Korea) (illustrative). Bff / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
