Potato consumption remains very high among French-speaking Belgians.
Nine out of ten respondents consume potatoes in their main forms: fries (98%), mashed potatoes (97%), and peeled boiled potatoes (93%).
The findings were revealed in a new study by the Observatory of Consumer Behaviour from the Walloon Agency for the Promotion of Quality Agriculture (Apaq-W).
Statistics from GfK Belgium indicate that almost all French-speaking Belgians purchased potatoes that were fresh (98.8%), processed (91%), or frozen (83.8%) at least once in 2023.
Most people buy their potatoes from supermarkets (84%), followed by chip shops (26%), farm shops (20%), weekly markets (15%), and small retailers (13%).
At least once a week, 60% of respondents eat peeled boiled potatoes, 48% eat fries, 26% eat mashed potatoes, 26% eat crisps, and 25% eat potatoes with the skin on.
Nearly half of the respondents (47%) state that they consume Walloon potatoes. The Apaq-W study also reveals that 20% of potato consumers expect their local potato consumption to increase, 77% believe it will remain stable, and 3% think it will decrease.
