{
  "id": 3608804,
  "title": "Belgium’s beloved fries face supply crunch as heat, drought shrink potato harvest",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/belgiums-beloved-fries-face-supply-crunch-as-heat-drought-shrink",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-26T23:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail-malaymail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/life/2026/08/27/belgiums-beloved-fries-face-supply-crunch-as-heat-drought-shrink-potato-harvest/232695"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Belgian farmers face a supply crunch for beloved fries as heat and drought shrink the potato harvest. Mathieu Comijn, a Belgian farmer, inspected fields of cracked earth and browned leaves, finding tubers smaller than ping-pong balls. This summer's weather extremes, caused by man-made climate change, have led to poor potato growth. The Comijn family, who grow 500 hectares of potatoes, will have to use stocks from last year and rely on less desirable varieties to meet supply contracts. Fry shop vendors face rising prices, causing frustration among customers.",
  "summary": "AMAY, Aug 27 — Mathieu Comijn inspected rows of potatoes in a field of cracked earth and browned leaves, pul...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}