The Clarebout potato factory in Nieuwkerke, West Flanders, has halted operations, leaving more than 300 workers temporarily unemployed.
The company said the measure, effective from 11 to 23 March, was a “short-term operational adjustment” due to recent market fluctuations and supply chain challenges. It applies only to labourers, not to office staff, according to Lars Decock from the ACV Voedingen en Diensten union. Clarebout’s other sites in Waasten, Mouscron, and Dunkirk (France) remain unaffected.
Industry-wide overcapacity in frozen chips is partly to blame, Decock noted, alongside competition from Asian countries and pressure from energy prices.
Clarebout Potatoes employs about 3,000 people and specialises in frozen chips. The company was acquired last year by US competitor Simplot, triggering strikes and unrest as workers demanded bonuses amid the transition.
Another major potato processor, Lutosa, is also scaling back. Decock revealed that a weekend production line for fresh chips is being dismantled at its Sint-Eloois-Vijve factory near Waregem. Lutosa has not yet provided any comments.
