Germany anticipates a potentially record-breaking potato harvest in 2025, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture reported on Wednesday, signaling the best yield in over two decades.
Preliminary data suggests a potential harvest of 13.4 million tonnes. This represents a 5.3% increase compared to the already strong performance of 2024 and a significant 17% above the multi-year average. The last comparable harvest occurred in 2000. Contributing to this anticipated success is a 6.7% expansion in planted area compared to the previous year, reaching 301,000 hectares – the largest acreage since the turn of the millennium.
The anticipated record harvest is also driven by projected yields per hectare, averaging approximately 44 tonnes across the country. This figure is slightly below the exceptionally high yield achieved in 2024 (a decrease of 1%) but still represents a nearly 5% increase above the multi-year average.
Favorable growing conditions have underpinned this positive outlook. Following a sufficiently wet winter, a warm and dry spring allowed for planting under excellent conditions and at a typical pace. While some regions experienced a lack of rainfall, early potato varieties were harvested early and irrigation was utilized where possible. Rainfall in July, following extremely dry and warm weeks in May and June, helped alleviate moisture concerns although it also increased the risk of disease.
The abundant potato harvest is already impacting pricing. Producer prices for early potatoes started 2025 considerably lower than in previous years. Currently, potato farmers are receiving approximately one-third less for their main crop harvest compared to last year. Consumers have noticed the effects as well, with supermarket prices for potatoes in August 2025 being roughly 15% lower than in August 2024.