“For 1 ton of potatoes, 15 euros is paid, compared to 150 euros a year ago. With that price you will not even get the costs for harvesting, let alone all other costs,” says Van Oost. A hectare of potatoes then raises 600 euros, while the costs (seed potatoes, fertilization, control, harvest) easily increase up to 6,000 euros.
The reason why the free market for potatoes collapses is simple: the processors do not need extra potatoes. The demand for frozen fries was much lower in recent months than last year. Boerenbond says that there is 500,000 tons less demand for pre -baked potato products in the Belgian, German and Dutch potato processors. There is no clear explanation. The processors point to the competition from Asia, where potato cultivation in China and India is on the rise, and to Trump’s trade war. Perhaps the expensive euro also plays a role, since many frozen fries are exported to countries outside the EU.