Polish farmers grapple with debt, shrinking strawberry farms and variable crop yields

Data from the National Debt Register show that the number of farmers listed fell 6 % to 3,481 at the end of the first quarter, while total indebtedness dropped 4 % to 239.9 million zł, with an average debt of about 69 thousand zł and an average arrears period of nearly two years. The most indebted farmer was reported in the Mazowieckie region (5.6 million zł).

Strawberry cultivation is contracting: the number of farms fell from roughly 43 thousand in 2020 to 31 thousand in 2024 and the cultivated area shrank from 38 thousand to 27 thousand ha. Growers face drought, frost, hail, rising production costs and cheap imports, prompting a shift toward costly tunnels and protective technologies.

Despite the challenges, Poland remained the EU’s second‑largest strawberry producer in 2025, harvesting 151 thousand t (13 % of the EU market) and exporting 74 thousand t, mainly frozen. Rapeseed growers anticipate low yields of 1.5–3 t/ha due to spring drought, frost and heat waves. Potato area fell to 185.1 thousand ha in 2026, down more than 25 thousand ha from the previous year after a peak of 210 thousand ha in 2025.

Poland continues to dominate the EU raspberry market with a 45 % share, producing about 79 thousand t in 2025 and exporting roughly 70 % of it, primarily frozen to Germany, while the raspberry area has declined to 17 thousand ha. The country also leads the EU in blueberry production, contributing about one‑third of EU output (≈62 thousand t in 2025) and exporting 21 thousand t, mainly to Germany.