Spain: León Potato Exchange Opens the 2026 Season at €310–360 per Tonne as Provincial Area Shrinks
Ukuthatha okhiye
- 360 euros per tonne: the opening quote for Kennebec
- 330 euros per tonne for Agria at the first 2026 session
- 1,210 ha of potatoes now in León, down from 1,354 ha
- 50 euros per tonne separates the top and bottom quotes
Kungani kubalulekile
- Kwabalimi
- León growers with uncontracted storage potatoes can use the €310–360/t opening as a floor reference, but should watch the next sessions before committing volumes.
- Kwabahwebi
- Packers sourcing Castilla y León potatoes should expect competition from northern buyers while the NEPG shortfall persists; secure supply early.
60-isekhondi isifinyezo
León's price exchange has set its first potato quotations of the year, and they are firm. Frying and table varieties such as Kennebec and Agria start at the top of the range, €360 and €330 per tonne, while red-skinned fresh-market types and Jaerla sit at €310 to €320. The exchange itself calls the level acceptable given that fewer hectares were planted: provincial area dropped by roughly 11 per cent, to about 1,200 ha. Regional reporting ties the firm tone to the drought-hit harvest in Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands, though the frequently cited 20-million-tonne figure covers only those four countries, not the EU. Because this is the season's first session there is no prior quote, so the real test comes in the following weeks. Growers and packers in Castilla y León use this table as a reference for contracts and spot sales through the storage season.
The Lonja de León, the agricultural price exchange of the Spanish province of León, opened its 2026 potato season on 23 September with quotations between €310 and €360 per tonne.
According to the exchange’s official price table, Kennebec was quoted at €360/t and Agria at €330/t. Red Scarlett and Yona were set at €320/t, while Jaerla and Red Pontiac opened at €310/t. Because this was the first potato session of the campaign, there is no previous quotation to compare with.
The exchange described the opening level as an acceptable price for a campaign marked by a smaller cultivated area. Local daily La Nueva Crónica reported that León’s potato area fell from 1,354 hectares to 1,210 hectares, a reduction of about 11%.
Izinsuku zeviki. Zikhiphe ohlwini ngokuchofoza okukodwa.
The regional press linked the firm start to the shortage in north-west Europe, where drought has cut yields in the main producing countries. Several reports cited a European crop of little more than 20 million tonnes. That figure refers to the four core producers tracked by the North-Western European Potato Growers (NEPG) — Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands — rather than to the whole European Union; potatoes.news has covered the broader shortfall lapha.
The Lonja de León publishes its potato quotations weekly during the campaign, giving growers, packers and traders in the province a public reference point for contract talks and spot sales.
The table covers six varieties in four price bands. The spread between the top quote, for Kennebec, and the bottom quotes, for Jaerla and Red Pontiac, is €50 per tonne.
Kungani kubalulekile
The benchmark exchange of a key Spanish storage region opened firmly, and the area behind it is smaller. If the north-west European shortage keeps pulling potatoes northwards, Spanish packers may face stronger competition for local supply this winter. The next weekly sessions will show whether the opening level holds once harvest volumes are known.
Isithombe: Hoeing a potato plot in Covelo, Galicia, Spain (illustrative). Bene Riobó / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Isifinyezo Samazambane Omhlaba Wonke
Izindaba ezinhlanu eziphezulu, amanani, izexwayiso zezifo kanye nemicimbi. Ekuseni phakathi nesonto, akukho ukukhangisa.
Okulandelayo
Weekly sessions of the Lonja de León will show whether the opening prices hold as harvest volumes become known.
Imithombo
- Lonja de León — https://www.lonjadeleon.es/lonja-patata-23-09-2026/
- La Nueva Crónica — https://www.lanuevacronica.com/actualidad/patata-arranca-en-lonja-leon-entre-310-360-euros-con-cosecha-baja_203381_102.html
- Agronews Castilla y León — https://www.agronewscastillayleon.com/lonja-leon-patata-precios-23-septiembre-2026
- The area figures come from La Nueva Crónica.
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