The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Plenty of potatoes in farm storage
The amount of potatoes sitting in storage on farms across the country is up by almost a quarter on last year, according to AHDB Potatoes.
Figures from the levy body suggest GB potato stock levels for the end of November were 3.6 million tonnes – the most tatties in storage at this point in the season since 2011-12.
“Last December we estimated the GB production figures to be up by around 15%, at 6.04m tonnes, so the increase in stocks held in store has been expected,” said AHDB Potatoes analyst Amber Cottingham.
She said the high production during last year’s growing season was a result of a 5% increase in planted area to just over 303,000 acres, coupled with one of the highest average yields on record at 19.95 tonnes per acre.
AHDB said that with much of the season still to come, high production figures suggest it is unlikely potato supply will be as tight as the past two seasons.
“We only measure the amount of crop in stores and not the quality,” said Ms Cottingham.
“We are aware that there have been storage quality issues reported, which could impact volume of the marketable stocks later in the season.”
She said data from the levy body’s new Potato Data Centre shows production last reached the 6m tonnes mark in the 2011-12 season.
Meanwhile, AHDB chief executive Jane King has hailed a successful trip to China alongside Prime Minister Theresa May and business and industry leaders.
Ms King said that the quality and safety of British products would enable them to make their mark on the Chinese market.
She said: “Britain has a fantastic global reputation and is renowned for high standards of food quality and safety as well as animal welfare, which is of great importance to Chinese consumers.
“Therefore, it is vital that we continue to build on this positive trade visit to unlock the full potential for our producers here in the UK.”