Growers are calling for political action to save the British potato, as unsustainably high input costs and bad weather put the future of the home-grown crop under increasing pressure.

Drought, flooding, and many months of heavy rainfall mean that many growers experienced significant delays in lifting the 2023 crop, with further delay also in planting the 2024 crop.

This, coupled with soaring input costs of fertiliser and energy for storing potatoes, has caused the compound cost of production in the sector to rise by 28% over the past two years.

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The NFU says that for some farmers, profits have been all but wiped out, with business confidence low and investment difficult – all of which is adding pressure to British potato supplies in the short-term.

NFU potato policy group vice-chairman Alastair Heath said that, unless the incoming government takes proactive action, “the future of British potatoes is at risk”.

He said: “A number of growers have made the difficult choice to reduce production to minimise losses, and the relentless wet weather has put many more growers weeks behind schedule.

“While it’s unlikely to lead to empty shelves this year, this pressure on the home-grown crop is an indication that we need urgent action to prevent the situation getting worse. I believe we can and should be self-sufficient in potatoes.”

Policies

With the average person in the UK eating about 33kg of potatoes every year, the NFU is urging the future government to put policies in place to protect British potato production.

Its key asks include a management plan for watercourses, to both reduce the risk of flooding and enable access to water in times of drought.

The NFU has also called for the next government to action a plan for the use and availability of plant protection products, and to deliver an agricultural budget of £5.5bn for England and Wales to underpin business resilience.

This should include schemes to help potato growers raise productivity and adapt to climate change, through funding for new and existing reservoirs and cold storage facilities, while also enabling planning policies.

“Our next government – whoever may lead it – must focus on building resilience, confidence and profitability on farms at home, so products like the great British potato can continue to grace family dinner tables long into the future,” Mr Heath added.

“As political parties vie for votes, I urge them to recognise this example of why policies to boost home-grown food production must be a priority – because it is for voters.”