Potato price plummets, fries cost the same

Farmers are sometimes paid less than five cents per kilo, while you’re still paying fifty cents or more in the store. A good harvest and more land under cultivation have made processing potatoes abundant, but that abundance isn’t reaching consumers.

The reason lies with supermarkets and processors keeping a tight grip on their supply chains. Fixed contracts bring stability, but also keep prices artificially steady. Growers without such agreements are hit the hardest. Their truckload of potatoes can suddenly be worth less than the plastic wrap covering it.

Out in the fields, yields are high. Some plots in the Netherlands are hitting 61 tonnes per hectare—no small number. Aviko notes that growth is starting to level off, but volumes remain strong. In Belgium, yields are lower. The Fontane variety there averages around 44 tonnes per hectare. Fewer potatoes per plant, but big ones, and plenty of weight.

Meanwhile, consumer prices hold steady. Energy, labour and packaging all cost more—everything except the potato itself. The gap between farm and fork seems to be widening. At this rate, a plane ticket to the countryside might soon cost less than a €3 bag of fries.