Summary of our market study

French consumption of processed potatoes exceeds €1.5 billion

The global potato market is dynamic, with a forecast compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.5% between 2022 and 2027, according to the FAO. Despite a decrease in cultivated land from 19.35 million hectares to 16.49 million in 2020, production is on the rise, particularly in South America, Asia and Africa, with increases of 25-27%.

By 2020, China, India and Russia will account for 40% of global production. In the European Union, Germany, Poland and France dominate the market, with the EU potato sector generating 12 billion euros in 2020.

Dynamics of demand for potatoes on the French market

France is a major player in the global potato market, in terms of both production and consumption.

The main segments of the potato industry are retail, processing and the starch industry.

France maintains a strong presence on the European market, with over 53 million tonnes produced, or 15.7% of European production, just behind Germany and Poland.

National potato production in France is between 5 and 6 million tons per year. The vast majority of this production takes place in the northern regions of France, Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy. Production in this sector is rising steadily, from around 3.5 billion euros to almost 4 billion euros by 2020. Almost half of national production is exported.

The EU's ban on CIPC, a chemical traditionally used in potato cultivation, is an important change that has necessitated the search for environmentally-friendly alternatives.

Much of France's processed potato consumption depends on imports, with the Netherlands a major supplier. France's trade balance is very positive. The value of French potato exports has varied between $430 and $480 million per year over the last four years.

Potato market players

  • McCain Foods is one of the pillars of the potato market, notably due to its specialization in frozen potatoes. The Canadian giant has demonstrated its commitment to growth and sustainability by investing heavily in its production capacity. A case in point is its decision to allocate substantial funds to improving production resources at its Béthune site in France...

  • Bonduelle, another figurehead in the potato sector, is a familiar name recognized for its range of processed vegetable products.

  • Intersnack marks its presence in the savoury snacks and potato chips sector.

  • Agrial and Eureden, subsidiaries of major agricultural cooperatives, also play an important role in the market. Their extensive networks and resources enable them to source directly from farmers, guaranteeing the supply of potatoes.

  • Numerous small, independent artisanal producers dot the French countryside, contributing to the richness and diversity of the potato market. They often focus on regional varieties and traditional farming practices.

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Summary and extracts

1 Market overview

1.1 Definition and presentation

There are several thousand varieties of potatoes in the world, only a small proportion of which are grown for consumption. The industry can be divided into three sub-segments, which are discussed in the study:

  • Retail
  • Processing
  • The starch industry

As a result, potatoes are consumed in many forms, fresh or processed, directly or in prepared dishes. In spite of its place as the favorite vegetable of the French, the consumption has strongly decreased over the decades following the evolution of the diet (more meat and prepared meals). The sector has continued to grow thanks to important international exports (nearly half of the national production).

The sector must therefore continue to innovate (in particular by adopting more environmentally friendly farming methods), also under regulatory pressure. The European Union, for example, has banned the use of CPIC.

A few large companies dominate the processing and starching sector, which is linked to significant investment needs, which is not the case for potato production, which is highly fragmented among numerous farms located mainly in northern France.

List of charts presented in this market study

  • Main potato producing countries
  • World potato production
  • Evolution of the number of hectares cultivated for potato production in the world
  • Distribution of potato production in Europe
  • Value of potato production at basic prices by the main producing Member States
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Latest news

Bonduelle sells its bagged salads in France and Germany - 30/08/2024
  • Bonduelle's total sales for the year ending June: 2.4 billion euros.
  • Percentage of sales represented by the global bagged salad business sold: 7%.
  • Sale of 65% of US canned vegetables and Long Life frozen foods business in 2022: 625 million euros.
Bonduelle: cool weather to penalize sales in 2023-2024 - 06/08/2024

- Bonduelle sales for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024: 2.372 billion euros.

Jean-Noël Darniche, new General Manager of Bonduelle Fresh France - 23/04/2024
  • **Bonduelle Fresh sales**: €110 million
  • - **Number of production sites**: 4
  • - **Number of employees**: Nearly 600
  • - **Types of activity**: Own-brand, private label and out-of-home catering
  • - **Specialized in delicatessen salads with the takeover of Caugant in 2003
Mousline shakes up the purée market in France - 28/03/2024

  • In 2023, sales rose by 7% to 83 million euros, mainly thanks to higher prices.
  • Production tonnage at the Rosières-en-Santerre (Somme) plant rose by 15% to 19,700 tonnes.
  • arrival of two very large Belgian frites manufacturers in France, due to go into production in 2027.
  • Agresto and Ecofrost will need 800,000 tons of potatoes, while Mousline uses 120,000 tons.
Mousline brings its instant purées up to date - 08/10/2023
  • Mousline has a market share of 64% in volume and 72% in value for dehydrated purées.
  • The former Nestlé subsidiary was taken over by the FnB Private Equity investment fund in October 2022.
  • Mousline plans to invest just under 3 million euros to relaunch the brand.
  • The Rosières-en-Santerre plant has a dedicated workshop for these new recipes and plans to install new production lines.
Bonduelle: the road to recovery will be "long" - 03/10/2023
  • Bonduelle sales rose by 9.2% (5% on a comparable basis) to 2.4 billion euros.
  • Net profit fell by 59.1% to 14.5 million euros
  • Sales of products such as lunch bowls account for almost 20% of Bonduelle's sales.
  • Bonduelle forecasts 40% growth in these products by 2024.
  • In the United States, which used to account for 34% of Bonduelle's total sales, the share fell to a quarter of sales after a poor performance and the disposal of activities.
  • In Russia, Bonduelle has forecast sales of 200 million euros for fiscal 2022-2023.

Companies quoted in this study

This study contains a complete overview of the companies in the market, with the latest figures and news for each company. :

McCain Food
Eureden Group - d’Aucy
Agrial Coopérative Primeal
Bonduelle Groupe
Mousline
Lamb Weston
Cheetos (Frito Lay)
Solina
Pom'Alliance
Greenyard
Farmfrites
Simplot

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