Polish Potato Starch Prices Flat as Oversupply Caps Upside

Polish potato starch prices in Łódź are holding steady at EUR 0.82/kg FCA, with no change over the past four weeks despite strong export activity in the broader potato market and a sizeable 2025 crop. Ample domestic raw potato supply, record exports of table potatoes in 2025, and competitive pressure from North-West Europe are keeping starch quotes capped for now.

A sharp rebound in Poland’s potato production in 2025 and record fresh potato exports have not translated into higher starch prices, as overall market oversupply and robust EU-4 harvests continue to weigh on processing margins. Poland harvested one of its strongest potato crops in years in 2025, following already solid output around 6.3–6.8 million tonnes in 2024–2025, which pushed more volume into processing channels and maintained comfortable feedstock availability for starch plants. At the same time, North-Western Europe (France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands) also reported very large 2025 crops, further limiting regional price upside for starch-based products.

Weather in central Poland is seasonally cool but relatively stable into mid‑March 2026, supporting field access and early preparation for the 2026 planting campaign without major stress. With no acute weather threat, buyers see limited risk premium in nearby starch coverage. As a result, FCA Łódź potato starch prices have remained flat at EUR 0.82/kg since at least 23 February, and short-term forecasts point to continued sideways trading unless either EU demand for starch-based ingredients accelerates or spring weather turns markedly adverse.

📈 Prices & Market Overview

The latest referenced price for conventional potato starch (powder, origin PL, FCA Łódź) stands at EUR 0.82/kg as of 16 March 2026, unchanged from 9, 2 and 23 February 2026. The market has effectively traded in a narrow sideways range, with no week-on-week movement over the last four reported updates, signalling a balance between comfortable supply and only moderate demand from food and industrial users.

Date	Location	Product	Delivery terms	Price (EUR/kg)	Weekly change (EUR/kg)	Weekly change (%)	Sentiment
2026-03-16	Łódź (PL)	Potato starch, powder	FCA	0.82	0.00	0.0%	Neutral / soft
2026-03-09	Łódź (PL)	Potato starch, powder	FCA	0.82	0.00	0.0%	Neutral
2026-03-02	Łódź (PL)	Potato starch, powder	FCA	0.82	0.00	0.0%	Neutral
2026-02-23	Łódź (PL)	Potato starch, powder	FCA	0.82	0.00	0.0%	Neutral

Compared with wholesale fresh potato prices in Poland – reported in late 2025 at roughly EUR 0.08–0.12/kg for medium- to high-quality table potatoes – starch pricing reflects both processing costs and higher value-add, but the lack of recent appreciation mirrors the pressure from a domestic market still digesting sizeable crops and record exports.

🌍 Supply & Demand Context

Poland and EU Potato Balance

Poland is one of the EU’s top potato producers, with output around 6.3–6.8 million tonnes in 2024–2025, making it a key supplier of raw material for starch, fries and chips. After several weaker seasons, 2025 production rebounded sharply, with yields estimated roughly 17% higher than the previous season thanks to favourable weather.

The wider EU market also harvested a large crop. In 2023, EU potato output reached about 48.3 million tonnes, with Germany, France and the Netherlands leading, and Poland ranking among the top four producers. More recent 2025 figures from the main North-Western European producers (France, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands – the EU-4) confirm a harvest of unprecedented size around 35 million tonnes for all segments, consolidating a broadly comfortable supply situation into 2025/26.

Starch-Specific Trade & Industry Signals

Poland is an active exporter of potato starch (HS 110813), with customs data showing a diversified export base across multiple destinations in 2024, though volumes per country remain relatively modest at several thousand tonnes. Earlier sector analysis highlighted that Polish starch exports dropped about 29% in 2023 amid climate-related disruptions and supply volatility, with potato starch singled out as particularly affected. The recent production rebound therefore comes after a period of constrained output and trade.

On the fresh potato side, Poland achieved record exports in 2025 – 107,540 tonnes shipped between January and August 2025 – even as the country simultaneously imported significant volumes, reflecting both strong cross-border flows and domestic oversupply. This oversupply has exerted downward pressure on free-market potato prices, especially for table potatoes, while contracted processing potatoes for starch have been somewhat shielded. Overall, the combination of high raw potato availability and only moderate growth in starch demand explains the current flat price profile.

📊 Fundamentals & External Drivers

EU-4 Competition and Plantings

North-Western European Potato Growers (NEPG) data indicate that potato plantings in France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands grew by around 50,000 hectares in 2025 compared with 2024, driven largely by ware potato demand, while the starch segment slightly contracted. Even with some reduction in dedicated starch acreage, the overall size of the EU-4 harvest has remained very high, keeping regional processors well supplied.

For Polish starch producers and traders, this means competition from major EU starch players, particularly in North-West Europe, remains intense. Prices for raw potatoes used in fries and chips in the Netherlands, for example, have been reported at low levels (around EUR 4 per 100 kg for processing potatoes in early 2026), pointing to a generally weak raw material market despite some cost inflation at retail level. This backdrop caps the ability of Polish FCA starch offers to move significantly higher in the short run.

Macroeconomic and Regulatory Context

Polish agri-food exports have continued to grow, placing the country among the EU’s top performers in value growth in 2024. New domestic regulations on origin labelling for loose fruit and vegetables, effective from February 2026, are more relevant for fresh produce than for industrial starch, but they enhance transparency and may indirectly support Polish-origin branding over time. However, no direct regulatory shock is currently visible that would materially tighten or loosen the near-term potato starch balance.

🌦 Weather Outlook – Łódź Region (PL)

Weather for Łódź (central Poland) over the next three days is relatively benign for late winter/early spring. Forecast data indicate mostly cloudy to partly sunny conditions with daytime highs around 8–13°C and overnight lows around 0–1°C from 17–19 March 2026, with only brief showers reported on 16 March.

These conditions are broadly supportive for fieldwork preparation ahead of the main potato planting window, allowing soils to drain without prolonged frost or heavy rainfall. With no immediate risk of severe cold or excessive moisture, traders see limited weather-driven risk premium for nearby potato starch, contributing to the current stable price environment around EUR 0.82/kg FCA Łódź.

📆 Short-Term Price Outlook (3-Day, PL)

Given flat prices since late February, ample raw potato supply and stable local weather, short-term price moves are expected to be minimal. No major new demand or policy shocks are visible in the immediate horizon.

Date	Region / Hub	Product	Expected Price (EUR/kg, FCA)	Direction vs 16 Mar	Comment
2026-03-17	Łódź (PL)	Potato starch, powder	0.82	Unchanged	Stable; comfortable supply, no new demand shock.
2026-03-18	Łódź (PL)	Potato starch, powder	0.82	Unchanged	Weather benign; buyers well covered nearby.
2026-03-19	Łódź (PL)	Potato starch, powder	0.82	Unchanged	Sideways market; watch for export inquiries.

📌 Trading Outlook & Recommendations

• For buyers (food & industrial): Near-term coverage in Poland can be maintained on a hand-to-mouth basis, as no significant upside catalyst is visible in the next week. Consider modestly extending coverage into Q2 if export demand for Polish starch starts to pick up or if early planting reports in EU-4 turn negative.
• For sellers/processors: With flat prices and comfortable raw potato availability, focus on securing volume contracts rather than price increases in the immediate term. Any attempts to raise FCA Łódź offers above EUR 0.82–0.84/kg may face resistance unless supported by evidence of tightening raw potato supply or stronger EU demand.
• For traders: Arbitrage opportunities between Polish and North-West European starch markets look limited in the very short run given broad regional oversupply. Monitor fresh export flows from Poland and early signals of 2026 acreage changes; any reduction in starch potato plantings could slowly tighten the balance later in the season.