Polish Potato Growers Reap Record Yields but Face Low Prices and Quality Concerns

After two years of disappointing potato production, this is the year the Polish potato farmers finally have a high yield, says Łukasz Ostrowicz, member of the board at Polish potato packer Bugaj.

Łukasz Ostrowicz:

"This year's potato production in Poland is significantly larger than in recent years. We had rather poor harvests in the past two seasons, but this year's production is well above the five-year average. Favourable rainfall and mild summer temperatures supported yield quality. The quality at the beginning of the season was very good; however, in recent weeks, we have started to see a few more quality challenges."

Ostrowicz even states that the actual potato production is higher than current estimates say.

Łukasz Ostrowicz:

"Current estimates suggest that total production is around 17% higher than last year, amounting to about 6.8 million tons. However, given that some growers have achieved exceptionally high yields, reaching 60–70 tons per hectare, I believe the real figure for total production could be much higher, possibly above 7.5 million tons."

"The higher the yield, the greater the challenge of maintaining consistent tuber quality. Large harvests are often associated with increased susceptibility to mechanical damage, such as bruising or soil contamination, which facilitates the entry of pathogens, affects appearance, and leads to higher storage losses."

According to Ostrowicz, there has been an increase in interest from buyers for the Polish potatoes, despite a slower start. 

Łukasz Ostrowicz:

"Demand was slightly lower during the summer months, mainly due to the high availability of locally supplied potatoes across the country. However, in recent weeks we have noticed a modest increase in demand, which is a promising sign as we move into the autumn season."

With higher production and availability, it's not surprising that prices drop. However, Ostrowicz states that growers are frustrated by the current levels.

Łukasz Ostrowicz:

"Prices have been much lower this season due to record-high production levels. Alternative crops such as wheat have not been particularly attractive this year, which encouraged many growers to plant more potatoes. As a result, we are now seeing some frustration among growers, as free-buy prices have dropped to extremely low levels."

Ostrowicz realizes that clients want more sustainable solutions for packaging and thus has introduced paper packaging for his potatoes.

Łukasz Ostrowicz:

"Clients are clearly expecting mono-material, fully recyclable packaging. There is growing awareness and demand for sustainable solutions, which has encouraged us to introduce paper packaging for some of our specialty potato products. We hope this move will attract environmentally conscious consumers and retail partners who are looking for greener options."

"We have been continuously expanding our range of peeled potatoes and increasing production capacity in this segment. I believe pre-cooked potatoes will be one of the main growth drivers in the near future, as younger consumers are looking for easy and convenient ways to prepare potatoes. We are already exporting pre-cooked products to neighbouring countries, and the response has been very positive so far. We are definitely ready to serve more customers overseas."