Germany: Farm-Gate Prices for Table Potatoes Hold at €25–39 per 100 kg as the Harvest Advances

Producer prices for table potatoes in Germany stopped rising in late September. Weekly price quotations from three federal states show stable or slightly lower prices in week 39. The prices range from €25 to €39 per 100 kg. The level depends on the region and the cooking type.

In Hesse, the state agricultural agency (llh.hessen.de) published its price quotation on 22 September. Firm-cooking potatoes averaged €36.75 per 100 kg, in a range of €35–39. Mainly firm-cooking potatoes averaged €34.75 per 100 kg. Both prices were unchanged from the previous week. One year earlier, the two averages were €17.25 and €15.75 per 100 kg. Producer prices in Hesse are therefore more than twice as high as in 2025.

In North Rhine-Westphalia, the regional price quotation for table potatoes was lowered by €1 to €30 per 100 kg. This was reported by the market service of the state chamber of agriculture (agrarmarkt-nrw.de). On 28 September, the price for all three cooking types stood at €30 per 100 kg. The market service also said that sales of new-crop potatoes for processing are finally picking up. It described the quality of the crop in the state as very good. Prices for processing potatoes from the new crop have not yet been published for the state.

In Schleswig-Holstein, the chamber of agriculture (lksh.de) quoted producer prices for 21–27 September. Firm-cooking potatoes were priced at €26–29 per 100 kg. Mainly firm-cooking potatoes were priced at €25–28 per 100 kg. According to the chamber, producer prices have moved sideways for three weeks in a row. Rain keeps interrupting the harvest, but the supply of marketable potatoes is growing. Demand is described as average, even with some promotions in retail. The chamber expects producer prices to stay stable in the coming weeks.

Wholesale prices show a different picture. In Hesse, the wholesale price for bagged firm-cooking potatoes averaged €47.33 per 100 kg in week 39. A year earlier, it was €49.50 per 100 kg. Based on the same table, the gap between the wholesale price and the producer price has narrowed from about €32 to about €11 per 100 kg.

The price pause comes after a small crop. Our report on the official German harvest forecast, which points to a crop 24.8% smaller than in 2025, was published on 26 September.

Maxay muhiim u tahay?

The sharp rise in farm-gate prices after the small harvest has paused, at least for now. Stable prices during the main harvest suggest that buyers do not expect a shortage in the coming weeks.

Regional differences are large. The average price for firm-cooking potatoes in Hesse is about €7 per 100 kg higher than the quotation in North Rhine-Westphalia. Growers who can store and wait may compare regional prices before they sell.

The narrower gap between wholesale and producer prices in Hesse means that packers and traders work with much smaller margins than a year ago. All quotations are for loose potatoes. In Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia, they are before sorting costs.

Photo: A potato vending machine at a farm in Meldorf, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany (illustrative). Dirk Ingo Franke / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0