UK: The British potato growers underestimate their own sector
Fresh Common Potato
Vegetables
United Kingdom
Published Jan 31, 2023
Tridge summary
According to industry experts, British potato growers massively underestimate the economic importance of their sector. This could well be £4.5 billion, rather than the commonly used estimate of £765 million. At the SAC Association of Potato Producers (SACAP) conference in Dundee, SRUC senior agricultural economist Steven Thomson told his audience that underestimating the sector makes the sector less politically important.
Original content
Thomson: “Farmers need to understand the importance of the whole chain rather than just looking at the individual farm, otherwise there will be no political pressure to step in and support the industry in growing disease resistant varieties or changing cultivation methods. On the other hand, the output of the Scottish beef sector is worth £950m, but they tell the Scottish Government they are worth £3bn because they look at the whole industry.” According to Thomson, the economic impact of potatoes goes far beyond the farm. He said £1 potato production equates to £3.77 downstream and added that ...
By clicking “Accept Cookies,” I agree to provide cookies for statistical and personalized preference purposes.
To learn more about our cookies, please read our Privacy Policy.