Spain: Fresh potato consumption falls by 11% while frozen potato consumption grows

Spanish potatoes have seen a minor increase in production for the second year in a row, reaching 1,933,963 tonnes, which is 0.6% above the previous year and 5.2% below the average for the 2019-2023 period. Despite this, potato exports have surged by 1.7% to 298,594 tonnes, with a record value of over 177 million euros, marking a 5.8% increase from the previous year and a 60.4% increase from the five-year average. This growth in export value is due to higher prices in 2024, caused by reduced production in France and shorter campaigns in Andalusia and Murcia. However, the consumption of fresh potatoes has decreased by 3% this year, compensated by a 13% increase in frozen potato consumption and a 4% increase in processed potato consumption. Additionally, Spain's dependence on foreign seed potatoes remains high, with 67% sourced from the Netherlands, 11% from France, and 14% from the UK, a issue that local producers have brought to the attention of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Polytechnic (MAPA), seeking permission to produce their own seed potatoes.