National Potato Week from April 17 to 26, 2026

National Potato Week will be held from April 17 to 26, 2026. Through various campaigns, food collective No Waste Army is attempting to save 500 million kilos of potatoes from ruin. Due to a combination of a record harvest, collapsed exports, and a saturated market, there is a large surplus. For instance, arable farm Oomen in Raamsdonk, North Brabant, is stuck with 800 tons of potatoes. "We are particularly affected by the import tariffs imposed by Trump and the increasing competition from China and India," says Diny Oomen. "We hope we don't have to pile the potatoes up; that would be a disaster." Potato Week features various promotions. At participating farms, enthusiasts can take home 10 kilos of potatoes for €3,65. This price has been set by the organizers of the campaign week. Will you participate?

Too many potatoes

In the spring of 2026, there will be a significant potato surplus in the Netherlands. More than 500 million kilograms of potatoes are at risk of being lost or having to be destroyed because they cannot be sold in time. Here are the key points regarding this situation:

• Cause of the surplus: The surplus arose from a combination of a record harvest, disappointing exports, and a saturated market. As a result, the storage warehouses will not be empty before the new harvest of 2026 arrives.

• Actions and solutions: To combat waste, 'National Potato Week' was launched in April 2026. The food collective No Waste Army is carrying out campaigns to get the hundreds of millions of kilos of potatoes to consumers.

• Low prices for farmers: Due to the enormous supply, prices have dropped extremely. Feed potatoes recently fetched even only €-1,00 to €-2,00 per 100 kilos (indicating negative prices, or costs to get rid of them).

• Consequences for cultivation: Agricultural economists expect that, as a result of this crisis, potato farmers will switch to other crops in the coming years, such as onions or wheat, to spread the financial risks.

(American potato stamps. These stamps were required by the Potato Act of 1935, an amendment to the Agricultural Adjustment Act that took effect on December 1, 1935. Potato growers were allocated quotas for which they received tax-free potato stamps. Growers who exceeded their quota had to pay for the surplus with tax-free potato stamps at a rate of 3/4 cent per pound. On January 6, 1936, the Supreme Court declared the Agricultural Adjustment Act unconstitutional. Officially, the Potato Act was in effect until February 10, 1936. Due to the short duration of the law, the tax-free stamps were never used.)

Consumers can help by buying local potatoes, which are often available directly from the farmer at a low price.

 

National Potato Week from April 17 to 26, 2026

More than 500 million kilos of potatoes in the Netherlands are at risk of rotting. Potato growers are stuck with a huge surplus that they cannot get rid of. And that has never happened before in our country, says No Waste Army , a company dedicated to combating food waste.

In collaboration with seven farmers spread across the Netherlands, the company decided to organize National Potato Week. From April 17 to 26, Dutch people can order potatoes directly from the farmer and pick them up at a bargain price. The company is also working with many supermarkets, which are running various promotions during the week. It is expected that people will pick up tens of millions of kilos of potatoes in the coming days.

 

10 kilos for 3,65 euros

Several potato growers approached the company due to the surplus, says No Waste Army founder Thibaud van der Steen. “We have never had so many growers with a single problem with a single crop. Ultimately, we were able to help seven growers. With this initiative, we encourage people to go to the farmer in the hope that the potatoes will be saved. Because it would be a terrible shame if they were thrown away.” The campaign has worked, as orders can no longer be placed with the seven participating farmers. According to Van der Steen, thousands of people have ordered a total of about 200.000 kilos of potatoes so far. For instance, more than 2600 families bought a 10-kilo bag of potatoes from a potato farmer in Waddinxveen for just 3,65 euros. It is a unique situation, says Hendrik Jan ten Cate. He is a potato grower and board member of the interest group the Southern Agricultural and Horticultural Organization. “I have been active as a farmer for 27 years, and in all those years, I have never experienced potatoes going unsold.” He himself managed to sell his entire potato harvest on time, but he too hears from colleagues that they are having trouble getting rid of their potatoes.

(What would the Belgian be without the chip shop? From 1838 onwards, the first mobile chip stalls appeared, which were mainly present at fairs, such as the Liège fair. At that time, the potatoes were peeled, cut, and fried on the spot, per order. After the Second World War, more and more fixed chip shops appeared in the streetscape. The success of the chip shop was sealed by its recognition as National Heritage in 2017. From left to right and from top to bottom:

• Chip shop, 50s-60s
• “Modern Deep Fryers”
• Old chip shop, Middelkerke 1920
• Deep-fried food in the rain
• “Traveling Aesthetic Frying”, 1913
• Block: Special leaf shape that allows it to be folded into a miniature mobile chip shop.)

 

Global demand collapsed

The potato surplus has multiple causes, says Ten Cate. When global demand for potatoes was strong, farmers planted many more potatoes than before. Subsequently, thanks in part to favorable weather in Northwest Europe, there was a good growing season. However, demand has declined over the past six months. According to Ten Cate, this is due to geopolitical unrest in the world. For instance, the Middle East was always a major buyer of fries, but due to the war in that region, demand has plummeted. Ten Cate also points to US import tariffs. These are causing disrupted trade, he says.

 

Cheap and local

The potato farmer is very happy with the No Waste Army initiative because it helps Dutch farmers sell their harvest. According to him, in recent years, the Dutch have been eating more processed potato products than regular potatoes. “And that is a shame, because potatoes are very cheap, they grow locally, and you can make many wonderful dishes with them. You could hardly find a reason not to eat them,” says Ten Cate.

(The potato company Pizzoli has been included in the register of historic brands of the Ministry of Trade and Made in Italy and has been honored with a special stamp in the thematic series “Excellence of the production system and Made in Italy”. The issue celebrates the company’s centenary (1926-2026) and reinforces the recognition of Pizzoli’s role as an Italian potato specialist. This issue represents a symbol that will travel throughout Italy and the rest of the world, telling the story of the Budrio (BO) company’s centuries-long experience in potato processing and a corporate culture deeply rooted in local tradition, sustainability, and innovation. A hallmark of Italian expertise that Pizzoli continues to promote, with an eye to the future challenges of the agri-food sector.)

 

Source: NOS.nl

 

<strong> More info: </strong>

No Waste Army: https://nowastearmy.nl/week-van-de-aardappel/

Related recipes in this Week of the Potato include those from NRC, April 18, 2026, Janneke kookt, Save a potato, eat it (Gnocchi recipe) and Trouw, April 17, 2026, Bas Robben, Fried Potatoes recipe. You will surely find both recipes on the internet.