What’s moving the market and where competitive pressure is building
The latest cut (through October 2025) confirms a clear late-year pattern: demand is holding up, but pricing power is weakening – and the gap between regions is widening.
Market pulse: volume resilience, accelerating price pressure
1 month ending Oct-25 (YoY)
- Volume: -4.1% to 832 th. tonnes
- Price: -8.4% to €1.19/kg
3 months ending Oct-25
- Volume: +0.6% to 2,459 th. tonnes
- Price: -8.5% to €1.21/kg
12 months ending Oct-25
- Volume: +1.4% to 9,674 th. tonnes
- Price: -5.5% to €1.25/kg
What this means: volumes are not collapsing but the market is clearing through price competition, which will increasingly decide who wins contracts and lanes, while sustaining healthy margin levels.
Import prices: regional disparities persist
While import prices declined across all regions, the intensity differs significantly.
Most regions are experiencing double-digit price drops, reflecting aggressive competition and easing inflationary pressure.
Europe stands out as the most stable market, with only a modest decline compared to sharper drops elsewhere:
- Europe: €1.23/kg (-5% YoY)
- North America: €1.23/kg (-10% YoY)
- Oceania: €1.13/kg (-11% YoY)
- Latin America: €1.11/kg (-11% YoY)
- Asia: €1.04/kg (-14% YoY)
- Middle East: €0.98/kg (-14% YoY)
This pricing spread highlights two realities:
- North America’s import price on par with Europe’s, maintaining high-end markets status supported by quality positioning and supply discipline
- Emerging regions are seeing steeper declines as competition intensifies and buyers push back on cost – Middle East is the primary battle ground
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Processor performance: Clarebout stands out and A-INSIGHTS brings a unique consolidated view
Most market updates stop at trade flows. A-INSIGHTS goes a step further by combining trade intelligence with company monitoring – giving decision makers a rare consolidated view on privately held processors like Clarebout, where transparent benchmarks are typically limited.
Spotlight: Clarebout (A-INSIGHTS consolidated estimate)
Clarebout remains one of the most commercially relevant stories in the sector: rapid scale-up, strong execution, and margins that continue to outperform.
- 2023 net sales: +46.2% to €1.7B (step-change driven by the Mydibel acquisition)
- 2024 net sales: +12.2% to €1.9B (growth normalised, but scale continued to expand)
- EBIT margin: 31.4% (2023) → 26.3% (2024)
Other players: strong results underline resilience across Europe
While Clarebout leads the profitability narrative, other processors also show that well-positioned assets can perform in a tougher pricing environment:
Aviko / Farm Frites Poland (FY 2024)
- Net sales: €201M (+48% YoY)
- EBIT margin: 10.8%
A strong growth year, reinforcing Poland’s rising role as a competitive production base.
Lutosa (FY 2025)
- Net sales: €705M (+1% YoY)
- EBIT margin: 14.9%
Stable topline, with robust margins – reflecting effective commercial positioning and cost control.
Closing thought: trade normalization, competition Intensification
October confirms a market in transition:
- Volumes remain steady on a yearly basis
- Prices continue to fall across all importing regions
- Competitive intensity is rising, particularly from lower-cost suppliers
- Yet leading European processors are still delivering strong profitability
The global frozen potato market is moving from inflation-driven expansion into a phase where pricing power, efficiency, and strategic positioning will define winners.
🚀 Want to know how these insights fit into your 2026 and beyond strategy?
Every month, A-INSIGHTS turns official trade data into decision-ready signals for potato processors and their commercial teams.
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