Belgian fries under threat as potatoes shrink in heat

Belgian potato farmers are warning that this year’s crop could be too small to make the country’s famous fries after extreme weather hit harvests.

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In Amay, near the eastern city of Liège, farmer Mathieu Comijn is pulling Bintje potatoes from parched soil that are barely the size of ping-pong balls.

“You can see the soil is extremely dry,” Comijn said. “Normally, they should be at least four times this size. At the moment we can’t make fries with these potatoes.”

Heavy rain and storms at the end of spring weakened the soil before exceptionally hot and dry summer weather prevented the potatoes from developing normally.

The Comijn family grows around 500 hectares of potatoes and has contracts requiring it to deliver agreed volumes to processors. It plans to draw on stocks from last year’s unusually abundant harvest to meet some of those commitments.

Belgium is the world’s biggest exporter of frozen fries, with its potato-processing industry handling more than six million tonnes annually. Around 90% of the frozen fries it produces are exported to more than 120 markets.

The shortage could eventually feed through to consumers.

At Brussels’ well-known Maison Antoine fry kiosk, owner Pascal Willaert explains that large, elongated potatoes were ideal for making fries.

“But right now, with the seasons varying so wildly, it’s hard to find the perfect potato for fries,” he said.

Belgium’s national association of fry vendors, representing around 4,500 shops, has also warned that tighter potato supplies could push prices higher.