Switzerland has worst summer potato harvest on record

Poor summer potato harvest — The poor harvest and the need to rely on imports could affect prices in shops.

Keystone-SDA

This summer’s heatwave led to the worst potato harvest in Switzerland since records began. To make up for this, 130,000 tonnes of potatoes had to be imported.

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This content was published on

September 3, 2026 – 16:12

This year, Swiss farmers harvested just 333,000 tonnes of potatoes, the industry umbrella organisation Swisspatat said on Thursday. This is nearly 20% less than the average over the last six years.

The poor harvest and the need to rely on imports could affect prices in shops. However, there is no risk of a potato shortage: Swisspatat said there are sufficient quantities available for both the industry and private consumption.

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Climate adaptation

As heatwaves rise, Swiss climate concerns fall

This content was published on

Aug 11, 2026

Despite heatwaves and wildfires across Europe, most Swiss consumers say climate concerns do not influence their spending or investment decisions.

Swisspatat is nevertheless calling on the federal government to provide greater support for new breeding technologies in order to develop more resilient varieties, as well as to guarantee sufficient access to water. According to the organisation, it is better to prepare for the effects of climate change.

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Translated from French, reviewed by an English Department journalist

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