Britain’s potato industry is entering another season under pressure, but sector leaders warn the real challenge is no longer a single crisis – it is the cumulative strain of years of disruption hitting grower confidence, profitability and long-term resilience.
Scott Walker, chief executive of GB Potatoes , said the crop had become 'emblematic of the pressures facing modern agriculture', after successive shocks across energy, labour, trade and input markets.
“The humble potato may not make national headlines, but for Britain’s farmers and food system it has become emblematic of the pressures facing modern agriculture,” he said.
Walker said the industry had spent years absorbing disruption, from Brexit and Covid-19 through to the war in Ukraine, inflation and extreme weather, with each crisis eroding resilience further.
“None of these challenges are entirely new, but each successive crisis has chipped away at business resilience across the sector,” he said.
While potatoes remain one of the UK’s most important food crops, growers are now facing weaker contract prices, rising machinery and labour costs, and ongoing volatility in fertiliser and energy markets.
“The challenge facing the industry today is not simply another difficult season, but the cumulative effect of years of sustained pressure,” Walker added.
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He warned that the removal of England’s Basic Payment Scheme had also removed an important financial buffer many businesses had relied on during difficult trading periods.
“Contract prices for potatoes have weakened this year and tighter margins throughout the supply chain are increasing commercial pressures for both growers and buyers,” he said.
At the same time, weak cereal markets are limiting alternative cropping opportunities for arable businesses looking to reduce risk.
“For many, the cumulative effect has left growers exposed, vulnerable and questioning the viability of this season.”
Although most planting decisions for 2026 are already committed, Walker said many businesses were now reconsidering how much risk they were prepared to carry into future seasons.
“Many growers will be considering how much exposure they are willing to carry into 2027 and beyond,” he said.
Despite the pressure, Walker said there were still opportunities for the sector to strengthen through innovation, collaboration and research-led production systems.
This summer, GB Potatoes and the National Potato Innovation Centre will host the GB Potato Summit, bringing together growers, researchers, policymakers and industry leaders to discuss future resilience.
Walker said improving soil health, tackling emerging pests and diseases, reducing reliance on expensive inputs and adopting new technologies would all be critical to the sector’s future.
“The UK potato industry has the potential to grow in value, underpinned by smarter technologies, science-led production practices, and evolving consumer demand,” he said.
However, he stressed that achieving that growth would require stronger alignment between government policy, research investment and supply chain development.
“The potato sector is not facing a single defining crossroads moment,” Walker said. “Rather, it is navigating a period of uncertainty in which businesses are continually adapting to rising risks and diminishing resilience.”
He added that decisions taken over the coming months could shape the future direction of the industry for years to come.
“The coming months will test resolve, ingenuity, and leadership – and those who act decisively now will shape the future of Britain’s most essential and favourite crop, and the sector, for decades to come.”
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