Calls for action to save British potatoes

Published 2024년 6월 19일

Tridge summary

The NFU is calling on the UK government to implement measures to safeguard domestic food production, with a particular emphasis on the potato sector, which has been hit hard by adverse weather and rising costs. Potato growers are experiencing significant delays in harvesting the 2023 crop and planting the 2024 crop, resulting in reduced production and low business confidence. The NFU argues that relying on imports is unsustainable due to global supply issues and advocates for policies to enhance homegrown food production. They also suggest that supermarkets should continue to relax potato specifications to minimize waste.

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Original content

The NFU is urging the government to take a series of practical steps to protect UK food production. Over the past three years potato growers have been hit with both drought and floods – with months of heavy rain this season. The situation has culminated in a perfect storm for the great British potato, NFU says. Hard working growers have reported significant delays in the lifting of the 2023 crop and a further delay in planting the 2024 crop. At the same time, costs of key inputs like fertiliser and energy for storing potatoes have remained unsustainably high, with the compound cost of production in the sector increasing by 28% over the past two years. NFU potato policy group vice chair Alastair Heath said the future of British potatoes is at risk. “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. “For some, profits have been all but wiped out. Business ...

Source: UKFarmersguide