Warsaw Region: Potato Prices Highly Volatile as Domestic Supply Peaks

Domestic potatoes have now reached full maturity and dominate the Polish wholesale market, with prices showing strong volatility depending on daily supply. Poland's export share to Ukraine has fallen sharply in 2026.

On the Bronisze wholesale market near Warsaw, domestic potatoes are now fully mature and no longer treated as 'new crop'. Prices are highly variable, depending on current supply, ranging from €0.2 to €0.5/kg (1–2 PLN/kg) in the second week of July 2026. Premium varieties with light flesh command the highest prices, while yellow-fleshed potatoes such as Riviera are generally offered at up to €0.3/kg (1.5 PLN/kg).

Supply of Polish potatoes on wholesale markets has increased, pushing imported product out of the market. However, the overall acreage for potato cultivation in Poland and across Western Europe has declined. In Western Europe, the area under potatoes has dropped by about 11% year-on-year, but detailed figures for Poland are not provided in the latest reports. Weather conditions in Poland have been less severe than initially feared, allowing for some upward revision in harvest expectations, though weather risks remain significant for final yields and quality.

Demand for Polish potatoes on export markets has shifted. In the first five months of 2026, Poland supplied 16.6% of Ukraine's potato imports, down from 37.1% in 2025. Egypt has overtaken Poland as Ukraine's largest supplier, mainly due to earlier harvests and shipping windows. This marks a notable reduction in Poland’s export market share to Ukraine compared to previous years.

On the retail and local market level, new labeling requirements introduced in February 2026 mandate that loose potatoes be sold with a visible graphic of the country-of-origin flag. Inspections in the first half of 2026 found that 87 batches of loose potatoes and other produce lacked the required flag labeling, exposing retailers to financial penalties.

Market experts note that the contraction in potato acreage and the risk of further weather-related production issues are expected to influence price dynamics in the coming months, though the final impact depends on harvest outcomes in the second half of the season.

Material prepared by the editorial team of fresh-market.info, editor Artur Spiker