In the last few months, France has experienced a summer drought which has seriously affected the potato production and consequently the French fries sector. The Hauts-de-France region accounts for two thirds of national potato production and all producers have suffered from water shortages throughout the summer, which affects not only the growing, but also the quality of the potatoes and their conservation.

Other countries have also been affected: Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and England have also been victims of the weather impact on their crops. The French fries sector is in a state of alert because what we knew as a cheap product is forced to raise the price to a level that had never been reached before. This price increase will directly affect consumption.

Suriname’s Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism stated that “the prolonged drought in Europe has resulted in a shortage of potatoes and onions, among other products. This means that the prices of these products have risen considerably in recent weeks. We predict that the trend will continue to increase over the next three months.

Producers are consternated, production has fallen from 10% to 15% and regret that these temperature drops are going to be more common than normal and they are afraid that this will continue in the coming years.