A strategic crop for food security
The main objectives of the 1st International Potato Symposium, to be held on 5 October – the day before Fruit Attraction, which this year has chosen the potato as its star product – are to highlight the potato’s importance as a strategic crop and an essential product for food security, and to promote collaboration and the exchange of knowledge amongst the various stakeholders
The event will address sustainable production, genetic improvement, plant health, marketing and innovation, amongst other key topics, fostering the exchange of knowledge and collaboration between producers, companies, researchers and institutions.
Potato production in the EU stands at around 48.3 million tonnes, according to 2023 figures, with a cultivation area of nearly 1.3 million hectares, concentrated mainly in a few Member States. EU production has followed a downward trend in recent decades, with a significant decline since 2000, although in recent years there has been some stability in volumes and an improvement in yields.
Potato production in Spain
As for Spain, it ranks as the seventh-largest producer in the EU, with output of 1.9 million tonnes, against a backdrop of a slight recovery in the area under cultivation in recent years, but with a high dependence on imports to supply the domestic market.
Production in Spain has shown a more stable trend, standing at 1,921,848 tonnes in 2023; in 2024 it grew by 2.6% to a total of 1,971,171 tonnes; and in 2025 it stood at 1,947,962 tonnes, representing a slight decline of 1.2%.
The potato is the star product at this year’s edition of FRUIT ATTRACTION, which, organised by IFEMA Madrid and FEPEX, will take place from 6 to 8 October. The 1st International Potato Symposium forms part of the activities to be held as part of the star product programme, which will also include specific promotional and outreach initiatives both at and outside the trade fair.