News on Potato Stats, Trade, Prices from United Kingdom

AHDB Potatoes' first provisional estimate of total production in Great Britain for the 2016 crop year is 5.22 million tonnes, down 5% from 2015. Average yields for GB are estimated at just under 45 tonnes/ha, down 8% on last year.

AHDB Potatoes has pledged to work closely with the seed potato sector and Scottish Government to ensure that the industry maintains a low level of the bacterial disease blackleg.

Currency and supply dynamics are affecting the relative price of British processing potatoes compared to supplies from Belgium and the Netherlands.

AHDB Potatoes will use this year’s Seed Industry Event on 3 November to review the industry’s current approach to controlling blackleg. The biennial conference, held this year in St Andrews, will also provide growers with an insight into the potential impact of Brexit, and scope out the potato market, both at home and abroad.

AHDB Potatoes has produced provisional estimates of planted areas by variety for Great Britain for 2016.

UK Supermarket chain Tesco has announced it will issue contracts worth £12 million over three years to help support British Agriculture, and become the first retailer in the UK to introduce new long term contracts for potato growers and packers.

Ian Wright CBE, Director General at the Food and Drink Federation, the voice of the UK's largest manufacturing sector - food and drink, responds to the vote to leave in the UK's EU Referendum.

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board’s Chief Executive, Jane King, comments on the Brexit vote earlier today.

Since the start of 2016, potato prices in the United Kingdom have risen more steeply than at any other period since 2000.

UK Seed potato exports are booming with big strides being made to open even more new markets.

The updated NEPG 2015 area estimate, excluding seed and starch potatoes, is available, with total area now estimated down nearly 4% from last year and production estimated down over 12%

The first estimate of total potato plantings for the 2015 crop year in Great Britain from AHDB
Potatoes is 113,100 hectares. This is down 6.6% on the final 2014 planting figure of 121,100
ha

Late last week, the Potato Council published its annual GB Potatoes Market Intelligence report, wrapping up all key information about the GB potato market in order to inform decision-making and provide answers for common questions about the industry.

Better relationships between UK potato growers and the rest of the supply chain are needed if the sector is to cope with its current downturn.

Production estimates in North-Western Europe, already known to be strong, have seen upwards revisions following the receipt of additional yield data - now exceeding 28Mt from a record 547,000ha.

Unstable prices for agriculture have turned two British farmers into potato chip producers: Here is how childhood friends Rod Garnham and Ross Taylor established Corkers Crisps.

As Potato Council and the GB seed potato sector prepare for next months’ Potato Europe event in Germany, recent export statistics confirm that GB seed potatoes continue to be in demand around the world, with the 2013/14 figures revealing a new seed exports record from Britain.

Profits have fallen by more than £10m at McCain Foods GB after Britain's market-leading frozen chip maker was hit by a severe shortage of quality potatoes in the UK as a direct result of the extreme weather conditions in the 2012 growing season.