News on Potato Stats, Trade, Prices from United Kingdom

After Great Britain published its potato statistics earlier this month, the North-western European Potato Growers (NEPG) created the overview for their entire region: an 18 percent lower total harvest

Shoppers in the United Kingdom bought 1.4 per cent more fresh potatoes this year compared to last year and 3 per cent more than in 2015, new data shows.

The revised estimate for the total 2018 potato planted area in Great Britain is 117.3Kha, down 4.4% from 2017. Also includes shifts in the Top ten potato varieties grown in Great Britain in 2018

Rezatec - a UK based company focused on the analysis and interpretation of satellite data - has in collaboration with AHDB Potatoes investigated the effectiveness of using satellite data to map the extent of potato crops in pilot locations across the UK.

The Potato Processing companies in the United Kingdom have released a statement through the Potato Processors’ Association Ltd (PPA), expressing their concern for the impact of current weather conditions on UK potato processing sector.

AHDB Potatoes is encouraging seed potato producers to consider Cuba as an export destination after recent meetings with Government officials in the country.

United Kingdom potato trade saw strong performance from its processed potato sectors in the first seven months of the 2017/18 marketing season. Trade of frozen potato has seen strong growth both leaving and entering the UK, although imports still outweigh exports by ten-fold.

Great Britain potato stock levels held by growers are estimated at 2.4Mt as at the end of January. This represents the largest end-January stocks figure since the stocks survey began in 2010.

AHDB Potatoes announced earlier this month that GB potato stock levels for the end of November are estimated at 3.6M tonnes, the highest level for this point in the season since 2011/12.

AHDB Potatoes will officially launch its Potato Data Centre (PDC) at BP2017 at Harrogate on 22 and 23 November.

One of the key features of the biennial British Potato event is the seminar programme and the approaching Brexit is of course a topic that must be front and center at an event in the United Kingdom.

In Great Britain, Maris Piper is still by a wide margin the most grown potato variety. But potato growers have planted an increased area of emerging varieties to serve the fresh packing market

Government representatives from Scotland and Brazil met in July to simplify the import classification requirements for seed potatoes. The game-changing meeting was organised and funded by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).

In Scotland, a group of major potato businesses and public sector organisations have sponsored a £242,000 (USD 313,000) research project aimed at reducing the impact of potato disease blackleg on the Scottish seed potato industry.

Seed potato growers for the United Kingdom who have been confident that crucial trade with Egypt and other non-EU markets would not be disrupted by Brexit may be in for a shock.

AHDB Potatoes Market Intelligence Analysts estimate the total area planted with potatoes in Great Britain this season is 121,000 hectares. This is up by four per cent on the previous year.

Great Britain grower-held potato stock levels at the end of March 2017 were at 1Mt, around the same volume as the end-March 2016 and 300Kt less than the end-March 2015 according to an AHDB estimate.

Potato stock levels in Great Britain at the end of January 2017 were at a similar level as at the same time in 2016, despite a four-year low yield, according an AHDB survey of grower stocks.