Potato trade puzzled by Defra snub to British farmers

Defra has left the British potato industry scratching its head after revealing that just 17% of the potatoes the department buys come from the UK.

The surprisingly low figure was disclosed by food and farming minister Jim Paice in a written statement to the House of Commons earlier in the week. By contrast, 100% of the beef and 90% of the poultry bought by the department was British, Paice said.