News on Potato Trade from Africa

Excitement builds as we mark one year to the 13th World Potato Congress, set for Oct 26–30, 2026, at Sawela Lodge, Naivasha, Kenya. Keynotes and registration launch in Nov. Stay tuned for updates and sponsorship opportunities!

Potatoes are currently abundant on the South African market, resulting in deflationary prices compared to the same period last year, says David Nel of GROW Fresh market agency.

Egypt’s potato exports to Malaysia hit a record 2,500 tonnes in Jan–July 2025, doubling 2024 volumes. Malaysia’s market share rose to 1.5%, reflecting Egypt’s growing export footprint and diversification strategy in Southeast Asia.

Global potato markets face a 'Potato Flood' as production outpaces demand, causing price crashes and farmer losses. Rising output from Europe, Asia, Egypt, Turkey, and new exporters China and India fuels oversupply, worsened by U.S. tariffs on EU fries.

Las exportaciones de papa marroquí repuntaron en 2025 con 42.900 toneladas, impulsadas por la reapertura de África Occidental y mayores compras de España, Francia, Portugal y varios países africanos, aunque aún lejos de los niveles récord de 2018/19.

Morocco's potato exports, declining since 2019, are rebounding. Between July 2024 and May 2025, the country shipped 42.9K tons of ware potatoes, worth USD 14.9M, signaling recovery in the sector, according to EastFruit analysts.

The EU has eased import rules for Egyptian potatoes under Regulation 1289/2025, boosting shipment limits and reducing inspections. Egypt expects lower costs, streamlined exports, and improved competitiveness in key EU markets.

The 13th World Potato Congress will be held in Naivasha, Kenya, from October 26–30, 2026—the first in Sub-Saharan Africa. Hosted by NPCK and FreshCrop Ltd, the event will spotlight global potato innovations, food security, and trade.

With Egypt's 2025 potato harvest complete, exporters turn to cold storage to sustain shipments through year-end. Strict post-harvest practices ensure quality for key markets like Russia, the UK, and Asia, maintaining freshness during long transit.

Rwanda is now a key hub for seed potato trade in the Great Lakes Region, thanks to farmer-led innovations, Africa’s largest minituber facility, a national seed catalogue, and efforts toward regional integration and formal cross-border seed markets.

Egypt continues to rapidly increase its potato exports to the United Kingdom. After setting a record volume of exports in 2023, Egyptian exporters further increased export volume by a factor 2.7 in 2024, according to EastFruit. 

The outbreak of the Red Sea crisis has taken its toll on many Egyptian export campaigns - citrus fruits being the first casualty - but it seems that the potato export campaign is holding up well. 

Morocco, as one of the leading global suppliers of fruits and vegetables, is increasing its exports of fruit and vegetable products, but this is not the case for the Moroccan fresh potato exports.

This year Egyptian potato exports to the EU market are expected to reach at least three-year high.

Este año se ha caracterizado por cambios en el clima mundial que han trastocado las producción de patatas y provocado alteraciones en los canales de aprovisionamiento.

By the end of 2022, Egypt exported a record volume of potatoes to the countries of Southeast Asia, EastFruit reports. Indonesia remained the main destination for their supply, and exports more than doubled last year.

Sources revealed to Al-Mal that 131 thousand tons of potato seeds arrived from European facilities approved for import from last October until early January, for 76 approved varieties.

Potato farmers in Rwanda are counting their losses, claiming that they are selling their produce at 'giveaway' prices, despite the cost remaining high on the market.