The 2026 potato season begins under the shadow of the 2025 production context, a year in which planted acreage increased but production did not rise proportionally. According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, 66,566 hectares were planted in 2025, 9.2% more than the previous year, while production fell slightly due to weather conditions.
Within this framework, Spain maintains a secondary role in the European context, accounting for around 4% of EU potato production, although the crop’s economic value—up 52% in 2024—has shown a clear upward trend in recent years.
From the FEPEX Potato Committee, its president, Alfonso Sáenz de Cámara, explains that last season was marked by highly uneven weather conditions depending on the region. “New potatoes in Andalusia suffered greatly from excessive rainfall, while in the north heat episodes reduced size and yields,” he notes, describing a season of irregular performance.
Looking ahead to the upcoming season, the sector anticipates a reduction in acreage. “Expectations are that early potato plantings will fall by around 3,000 hectares, and mid‑ and late‑season potatoes will also see a cut, although we cannot yet quantify it because planting is not finished, largely due to the poor prices of 2025,” Sáenz de Cámara explains.
At the territorial level, Castile and León remains Spain’s main potato‑producing region, accounting for around 44% of national output, well ahead of other regions such as Andalusia, Galicia, or Murcia.
However, forecasts also point to a reduction in acreage in this region. From the Interprofessional Potato Organization of Castile and León (OIPACYL), its president, Juan Sandonis, estimates that plantings could fall between 5% and 10%, in a context shaped by rising production costs and market conditions.
“We are coming from a year in which not all the production has even been harvested, and that, combined with rising costs, may lead growers to switch to other crops,” the interprofessional warns. They also stress that “the potato market is unsettled and needs some restructuring, which could begin with a reduction in acreage.”
Consumption trends once again emerge as one of the main factors conditioning the season. According to Ministry data, potato consumption between January and July 2025 fell by 1% compared to the previous year and 8.8% below the average of recent years, confirming a downward trend.
“There is a clear decline in household consumption of fresh products, and potatoes are no exception,” notes the FEPEX Potato Committee, highlighting the need to adapt with new formats and strengthen product promotion.
Along the same lines, OIPACYL stresses the importance of acting on demand. “The sector must help consumers understand that potatoes are a healthy, affordable, and local product,” they explain, emphasizing the need for joint strategies to stabilize consumption and reinforce the positioning of domestic production.
This context is pushing the sector to confront deeper challenges, including the need to move toward higher‑value models. “We mainly export unprocessed potatoes, when ideally we should be exporting packaged or processed formats,” FEPEX notes. The organization advocates for a more coordinated strategy and stable commercial agreements with destination markets, in an environment also marked by weak external demand and surpluses in the frozen‑food industry.
In this regard, the committee identifies two clear priorities for improving international positioning: strengthening the reputation of Spanish potatoes in foreign markets and moving toward a campaign strategy based on stable agreements with European clients, rather than a more opportunistic or short‑term model.
At the same time, the sector insists on reinforcing its organizational structure and promotional capacity. OIPACYL points to the need to move toward a more ambitious national‑level model that can coordinate all links in the chain, while also reminding that factors such as plant health—highlighted by recent late blight episodes linked to weather conditions—continue to affect the crop year after year.
