TYPICALLY in potato growing much is written about the travails of a very tough industry, but I’m going to buck that trend and inject a dose of positivity.
For many reasons, not the least of which being the weather, it genuinely was an odd year.
The weather threw some challenges our way. A very wet winter was followed by a very dry spring and summer. Without the wet winter we would not have survived the dryness we experienced through the season.
Planting, however, was remarkably straightforward, with many growers finishing before they had even started the previous year. Irrigation, where available, was a constant task but paid dividends in the yields achieved, and lifting conditions overall were near perfect.
I’m not naïve enough to suggest it was plain sailing for everyone. Many faced real challenges, particularly where rainfall was limited or irrigation unavailable, but it is worth reflecting on the positives to remind ourselves why we do this.
Now all we need is just the right amount of winter rain to replenish reservoirs, aquifers and rivers in readiness for a perfect planting season in 2026.
At the 2025 British Potato Event in November, GB Potatoes had the pleasure of working with the organisers to act as the Knowledge Exchange partners for the show. Pulling together an interesting and engaging seminar programme for the event was a major part of this. We were very pleased with the numbers that attended each session and the positive feedback received by so many. Each seminar tackled an important topic for the potato industry and each managed to impart a positive message.
In the blight seminar we learned that the UK is doing a great job of keeping the new strains of blight at bay by using the tools that are available, including the vital Fight Against Blight tool, still going strong with the support of the partners and an injection of funds from the residual levy funds, managed by GB Potatoes. Mixing the chemistry through a well-constructed programme is showing the way on controlling resistance even with the potential loss of a key component of most programmes, Mancozeb. This demonstrates that using the science provided keeps growers and agronomists well informed on the approach they should be taking.
At the seed seminar, we heard that retailers are now looking at using different varieties and asking the seed houses to produce new varieties that the consumer will buy, and that growers will grow. It was highlighted that this can cause issues for the seed producer, but as ever a resilient and effective seed sector is rising to and accepting the challenge and building those relationships between the ware grower and the end user.
Finally, on day one Dr Food highlighted the importance of the potato to the global food chain and how the requirements of the consumer are changing, describing how the industry is already adapting to those changes. The gen-Zers are a very different consumer, demanding a complete meal on a plate, in very quick order. The industry will have to and is adapting to this change to preserve the potatoes place on the plate. Promoting the health benefits of potatoes will be integral in maintaining and increasing the potatoes share of the carb market and this is an area that GB Potatoes is working very hard on.
The potato industry is great at looking at new ways of doing things and the Transformative Reduced Input Potatoes (TRIP) project is a good example of how using new and innovative products can improve nutrient use efficiency, reduce input costs and give opportunities for reducing fungicide use. In this seminar trials conducted were highlighted showing the success achieved by the project and definitely something to watch out for going forward.
The final session of the event was a rather tongue in cheek look at older varieties. The debate centred around Maris Piper and has it now had its day? Both speakers argued passionately for their case and the audience enjoyed the lively discussion. At a show of hands at the end, there was a very narrow win for the argument against Maris Piper, but it is not dead in the water yet and still has a part to play until the entire supply chain can adopt new varieties that satisfy the consumer. Work has already started on this.
If you could not attend these excellent seminars recordings are on the events web site. As I scurried between seminar room and the main halls I sensed a real buzz about the event, with all those I spoke to showing real positivity about the sector that is by far and away the best sector to be involved in. At GB Potatoes we know that we need to gauge if this perceived positivity is genuine, which is why we launched the Potato Industry Confidence survey at the Harrogate event.
Thank you to all those who’ve taken the time to complete the survey – keep an eye out for it being run again in the future.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the speakers and Chairs at the seminars for really getting to grips with the remit of each session and giving of their time so generously to provide such a successful programme.
Roll on the next odd year!
