British potato imports rise as domestic output falls; Ukraine expands processing capacity
The UK supplied only 71% of its national potato demand in 2025, increasing reliance on imports. Ukraine has begun constructing its largest potato processing plant, aiming to substitute imports and target export markets.
According to Defra data for 2025, the UK potato sector supplied 71% of the national requirement of 7.1 million tonnes, compared to around 90% at the start of the century. This decline in self-sufficiency has increased demand for imported potatoes, affecting trade dynamics in the European market and raising competition among main supplier countries to the UK, such as France, the Netherlands, and Belgium. No concrete wholesale or export prices were reported for the UK market in July 2026.
British potato production continues to face challenges from erratic rainfall and water restrictions. The winter of 2025/26 was among the wettest on record, while spring and summer rainfall remained below average in many regions, impacting yields and tuber quality. Water shortages during key crop stages threaten both the volume and calibre of the British crop, leading processors and retailers to seek more consistent supplies from continental Europe.
In Spain, major supplier Patatas Lázaro has increased its Spanish potato production area by 55% since 2022. For the current campaign, 70% of its volume comes from domestic fields, reducing dependence on imports. Despite rain delays in Andalusia and wind damage in Cartagena in early 2026, diversified cultivation areas allowed the company to maintain supply continuity and meet buyer demand. No specific export price for Spanish new potatoes was reported for July 2026.
Ukraine has started construction of a new potato processing plant in Cherkasy, with a first-phase capacity of 25,000 tonnes annually. The facility is expected to fully meet Ukraine’s potato flour demand, previously covered by imports of about 2,500 tonnes per year, and create new export opportunities for processed potato products once operational in late 2026 or early 2027. Future expansion includes a French fries facility (planned capacity: 60,000–150,000 tonnes/year) and additional storage.
A new EU project, PACE, has launched a biorefinery in the Netherlands to convert potato processing side-streams into bio-based chemicals. This initiative may gradually affect the availability of processing potatoes for food use in the region, depending on industrial demand for raw material. Increased UK import demand and Spanish supply stability could influence potato prices and availability for Polish buyers in the 2026/27 season.
Material prepared by the editorial team of fresh-market.info, editor Artur Spiker