Growers are calling for political action to save the British potato crop as fears rise over the impact of extreme weather and heightened input costs on it.
With the average person in the UK eating around 33kg of potatoes every year, growers have warned that the future of the crop is in doubt as it faces a 'perfect storm' of issues.
These include more frequent weather extremities such as drought, and, more recently, floods caused by months of heavy rain.
Meanwhile, the costs of key inputs, such as fertiliser and energy for storing potatoes, remain unsustainably high for many businesses.
British potatoes are usually available for people to buy all year round, but this year, farmers have reported significant delays in the lifting of the 2023 crop and a further delay in planting the 2024 crop.
Highlighting the sector's concerns today (19 June), the NFU said that consecutive years of volatile weather and soaring costs had taken their toll on family businesses, leading to a tightening supply of this household staple.
The union's potato policy group vice chair, Alastair Heath, warned that the future of British potatoes was at risk.
He said: “A number of growers have made the difficult choice to reduce production to minimise losses, and the relentless wet weather has put many more growers weeks behind schedule. For some, profits have been all but wiped out.
"Business confidence is low and investment has become a far-away concept, which is putting pressure on British potato supplies in the short-term.
“While it’s unlikely to lead to empty shelves this year, this pressure on the homegrown crop is an indication that we need urgent action to prevent the situation getting worse. I believe we can and should be self-sufficient in potatoes.”
To help reduce the impact on shoppers, supply chains have been working with growers to be flexible with specifications to use as much of the British crop as possible, and more imports are also being used so the public aren’t faced with empty shelves.
However, for such a staple British crop, the NFU warned that the UK cannot rely on imports as a backup plan, as doing so comes with its own risks.
For example, across the EU, potato supplies are also tight due to a widespread shortage of seed potatoes and similarly poor 2023 harvests and planting conditions.
Mr Heath added that global conflicts and climate change was wreaking havoc on food production across the world.
"We can no longer assume that we will always have access to food imports to plug gaps in our own market," he said.
"Given the volatile global environment we find ourselves operating in, this is not an effective contingency plan for our food security.
“Our next government – whoever may lead it – must focus on building resilience, confidence and profitability on farms at home, so products like the great British potato can continue to grace family dinner tables long into the future.
“As political parties vie for votes, I urge them to recognise this example of why policies to boost homegrown food production must be a priority – because it is for voters.”
What is the potato sector asking for?
The NFU and the wider potato sector are urging the future government to put policies in place to protect and boost British potato production, such as:
• A plan for a proactive management of watercourses to reduce the risk of flooding and enable access to water in times of drought, with potatoes a thirsty crop.
• With growers facing increasing resistance to pests and diseases, the next government should deliver a plan for the use and availability of plant protection products.
• Deliver an agricultural budget of £5.5 billion for England and Wales that underpins business resilience, including schemes to support potato growers to drive productivity and adapt to climate change
• Supermarkets must also continue to support suppliers by maintaining the relaxation of specifications to ensure that quality potatoes aren’t going to waste.
