In a press release published last week, the National Union of French Potato Producers (UNPT) warned that rising production costs would "render inoperable any attempt to put downward pressure on contract prices."
According to UNPT's latest study analyzing production costs and their inherent risks for potatoes in 2025/2026, these will rise by an average of 2 to 3% per hectare, depending on the outlet (fresh, processing and starch), compared with the last marketing year. The cost of planting 1 hectare of potatoes has been rising steadily since 2019, and is now four times higher than for wheat.
This trend is affecting all areas of expenditure, and in particular mechanization and plant supply costs, which now account for almost 50% of the costs (proportional and structural).
This economic pressure comes on top of an already tense context, linked to the uncontrollable decline in production resources (plant protection products) as well as growing climatic hazards that are increasing the economic risk for producers. While contractualisation can help to secure a "minimum" price, it must reflect the realities and dynamics of current production costs in order to guarantee the economic viability of farms.
UNPT is therefore calling on all downstream players in the sector - traders, processors and distributors - to include this rise in costs in their contract proposals with producers for the 2025/2026 marketing year.
Fair, equitable and attractive prices, which remunerate the cost of production and risk, are essential to maintain sustainable production, ensure the amortization of heavy investments (mechanization, storage...), help speed up the implementation of agro-ecological transitions and achieve the objectives of decarbonising French production.
For more information:
UNPT
45 rue de Naples
75008 PARIS
Phone: +33(0)1 44 69 42 40
unpt.fr
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