French potato production could fall by around 23% this year after extreme heat and drought sharply reduced yields, according to preliminary estimates from the Union Nationale des Producteurs de Pommes de Terre (UNPT).

The growers’ organisation estimates the average national yield for ware potatoes at approximately 37.4 tonnes per hectare, down 14% from 43.5 tonnes per hectare in 2025 and 13% below the five-year average of 43.1 tonnes per hectare.

If confirmed, it would be the lowest French potato yield in more than 30 years, according to the UNPT. The organisation estimates that production could be nearly 2 million tonnes lower than in 2025.

The decline follows a deliberate reduction in planted area after the oversupply that affected European potato markets during the previous campaign. French ware potato acreage was estimated to have fallen by close to 10% in 2026, while the North-Western European Potato Growers (NEPG) area declined by around 11%.

The UNPT said crops had been affected by five successive periods of extreme heat and an exceptional water deficit. It expects the resulting crop to be more heterogeneous, with smaller tubers, variable dry matter content and, in some cases, physiological disorders.

The organisation is calling on buyers to adapt specifications and intake criteria to the characteristics of the 2026 crop in order to maximise the volume that can be marketed.

Contracted volumes are another concern. The UNPT said some growers may be unable to deliver quantities agreed before the extent of the weather damage became clear. It argues that producers should not be required to purchase replacement potatoes on the open market or otherwise compensate for volumes they were unable to grow because of exceptional climatic conditions.

The organisation has called for discussions between growers and buyers through the CNIPT and GIPT interprofessional bodies, including arrangements covering undeliverable volumes, quality requirements and the wider economic consequences of the campaign.

Potential economic losses for French growers are estimated by the UNPT at at least €400 million, based on the average price of industrial contracts for the 2026/27 campaign.

The UNPT is also asking the French government to prepare exceptional support measures for the producers most severely affected, warning that decisions on planting areas for the 2027 crop are already being made.