I MUST start this article by paying tribute to my predecessor as Chair of GB Potatoes, Mark Taylor. Mark’s energy and relentless optimism, and the depth and breadth of his knowledge of the potato industry has been crucial to the establishment and early development of GB Potatoes as a viable and credible voice of the industry.
We all owe him a debt of gratitude for the hard yards he has put in to get us to where we are today, and along with the rest of the GB Potatoes Board I look forward to building on that solid foundation over the next few years.
In his article in the last edition of British Potato Review Mark reflected on the journey so far as we built GB Potatoes from scratch between 2020 and 2022 and continued to grow it subsequently. There have been some notable successes, most recently and significantly the securing of the residual levy funds for the benefit of the industry. While this is definitely a success, it is important that we see it as an opportunity rather than an end result.
The funds will ensure the continuation (or resumption) of activity in seven key projects. These can be found on our website at www.gb-potatoes.co.uk. The work required will be commissioned and overseen by GB Potatoes led by CEO Scott Walker and assisted by Development Officer Graham Bannister with each project sponsored by one or more board member. We’ll be applying the lean management principles of GB Potatoes to this work to ensure the best possible value for the industry’s money.
The sums involved are useful but the work on which they can be spent is limited to the seven projects, and even on those, the money will be exhausted in a few short years. If we want to continue work on those core areas or build on it to improve outcomes (artificial intelligence to predict aphid flights, for example), we must invest further.
There’s plenty more to be done on areas that fall outside the scope of the residual levy funds as well. PCN is one such area which is why, in conjunction with CUPGRA, we have commissioned an update to the Grower Guide which will be available to members of each organisation from spring 2025.
Mark set out his “three C’s” in the last issue: Co-ordination, Co-operation and Collaboration. I echo that call. Working together will be essential for our future prosperity.
There’s a fourth “C” that’s guaranteed: Challenge. All of our businesses will face challenges on multiple fronts over the coming years. Some of these we will each have to deal with individually. Some the residual levy funds will help us with for a while. Some, like PCN and the availability of water and plant protection products, loom ominously and will require collective thought and action, which is already underway. Still others will bite us unexpectedly so preparation and responsiveness are key.
We have established lines of dialogue with both UK and Scottish governments and all major industry stakeholders. We have established a Seed Consultation Group chaired by Tony Bambridge and comprising highly experienced individuals to provide us with the deep knowledge and expertise specific to that sector. We are in the process of establishing a Fresh Sector Consultation Group, chaired by Mark Willcox, to make sure we have the same level of insight into the fresh and bagging markets.
We also have a strong and supportive associate membership, allowing us to draw on the expertise of the ancillary businesses that are so vital to the potato industry in Great Britain. The reputational management and information gaps projects, part of the residual levy grant, will also help us be still more prepared for new challenges.
Good channels of communication are essential to making sure we can respond to all the challenges thrown at us and those channels are now in place, so we urge members to use them. In the last couple of months we have established a new merchant category of membership to help us engage better with those who trade in potatoes without handling them. If that describes your business and you aren’t already a member, consider joining us to make sure your voice is heard.
We are, and will always remain, a listening organisation. As well as your membership we need your thoughts and ideas on what we’re doing well, what we could do better, what the industry is missing that we ought to pick up, or where the next challenge is going to come from. Please do get in touch with me on [email protected] or the team at [email protected] with any views or suggestions.
