Nearly 40% fall in potato prices cuts Dutch farmers’ earnings by more than 10%

Farmers and horticultural growers in the Netherlands received more than 10 percent less for their products in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period in 2025, driven largely by a sharp decline in potato prices, according to figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS).

The drop was broad-based, affecting fruit, grains, milk, and eggs as well. Potatoes saw the steepest decline, with prices paid to farmers nearly 40 percent lower than a year earlier. CBS attributes the decline to strong harvests that created a surplus in the domestic market. Prices for animal-based products also fell significantly. Milk and eggs were down 21.1 percent compared with the same period in 2025.

Prices for fresh vegetables increased by an average of 5.4 percent compared with a year earlier, though performance varied sharply within the category. Eggplants saw a 56.6 percent increase in selling prices, while cabbage prices dropped 44.2 percent.

Not all agricultural categories declined. Farmers and growers received higher prices for industrial crops, which rose by 11.8 percent year on year. These crops are not intended for direct consumption or animal feed but are used as raw materials in industrial production.