Belgium reports fries raw material surpluses as after record harvests

The market situation for French fries potatoes remains difficult. In the center of the European fries industry there are still as many unsold raw material stocks as is usually the case after years of a record harvest. For example, on April 1, 1.7 million tons of potatoes were in stock in Belgium, similar to the number in 2014/15 and 2017/18. Holland and France's stocks of free fries raw materials are currently virtually unsaleable. Farmers are therefore restricting the area under cultivation for the next harvest. The cultivation association VTA estimates that 5-10% fewer potatoes will be grown in Europe for the main harvest in 2020.