Overview
- Germany harvested about 13.4 million tonnes of potatoes in 2025, with planted area up 6.7% to roughly 301,000 hectares, producing the biggest crop in about 25 years.
- Industry estimates put the surplus at 2.4 to roughly 3 million tonnes, pushing farmgate offers down to a few euros per 100 kilograms and sending edible potatoes to biogas plants, including a reported 400 tonnes from one Lower Saxony farm.
- Snack and processing companies cite long-term contracts, quality constraints and limited storage or line capacity, saying they will not buy beyond demand despite low spot prices.
- Retailers continue to stock imported potatoes from Egypt and Cyprus—around 85,000 to 140,000 tonnes annually—due to planning certainty and higher shelf returns, even as domestic stocks remain unsold.
- Political responses have split between a CSU call for a state ‘national potato reserve’ and a farmers’ proposal to route more potatoes to federal canteens such as the Bundeswehr, with media also spotlighting existing EU and state payments reported at over €48 million.