British potato growers ask authorities to save crops

The country’s potato growers have been called on to take political action to save the UK’s potato crop amid growing concerns about the impact of extreme weather conditions and rising production costs, FarmingUK reported on June 19. .

With the average person in Britain eating around 33kg of potatoes each year, growers warn the future of the crop is in doubt as it faces a “perfect storm” of problems. These include more frequent extreme weather events, such as droughts and floods caused by heavy rains in recent months.

Additionally, the costs of key inputs such as fertilizer and energy to store potatoes remain extremely high for many companies. British potatoes are usually available to buy all year round, but this year farmers have reported significant delays in harvesting the latest crop and a continuing delay in sowing the 2024 crop.

Alastair Heath, vice-chairman of the NFU’s potato policy group, has warned that the future of British potatoes is in doubt. He said: “Several growers have made the difficult decision to reduce production to minimize losses, and the unforgiving wet weather has left many growers weeks behind. For some, profits were virtually destroyed.”.

“While the situation is unlikely to leave shelves empty this year, this pressure on national crops is a sign that we need urgent measures to prevent the situation from worsening. “I believe we can and should be self-sufficient in potatoes.”” Heath summarized.

He called for transforming supply chains, using as many British crops as possible and increasing imports. “so that the public does not find empty shelves”.

However, the NFU warned that the UK could not rely on imports as a back-up plan. For example, across the EU, potato supplies are also limited due to widespread seed potato shortages and poor 2023 harvests and planting conditions this season.

Source: Rossa Primavera