smaller potatoes this year, a threat to the French fry industry

The potato plants are parched and the fields are crumbling like sand. A few weeks before the harvest, and while the water is scarce, farmers are preparing for a dark year. “This year, what will be missing are large calibres. We have a lot of medium, even small potatoes. We consider that we have about 25% less yield“, explains Samuel Catteaufarmer in Frelinghien (North).

The potatoes will be too small, especially for the French fry industry, which has a high demand for large tubers. So the farmers who work with the industrialists fear not being able to honor their commitments. Farmers risk penalties. At the national level, the sector assesses the losses at 1.5 million tonnes, which represents more than 200 million euros. The price of fries is therefore likely to rise.