Potato summit calls for better water security

Industry leaders meeting in London agreed that Britain already has the growers, knowledge and supply chain needed to produce more potatoes domestically and reduce dependence on imports. However, they said those ambitions will be difficult to achieve unless businesses have reliable access to water and the confidence to invest in storage infrastructure.

The summit, organised by GB Potatoes and the National Potato Innovation Centre, took place between the year's second and third heatwaves, placing water availability firmly at the centre of discussions.

Delegates highlighted the increasing challenge of managing extreme weather, with recent years bringing both severe droughts and exceptionally wet conditions. Droughts in 2018, 2022 and 2025 have been followed by unusually wet winters and springs, leaving growers facing longer dry spells interrupted by increasingly intense rainfall.

Speakers said this changing weather pattern reinforces the need for farmers to capture surplus water during wetter months and store it for irrigation when crops need it most.

Potatoes are particularly vulnerable to a lack of water during key stages of development, with moisture shortages affecting yields, tuber size and overall crop quality. Over a growing season, a potato crop typically requires around 350mm of water, equivalent to approximately 1.4 million litres per acre.

According to Defra figures, the UK required 7.1m tonnes of potatoes in 2025, but British growers supplied just 71% of that demand. By comparison, around 90% of the country's potato requirements were met by domestic production at the turn of the century.

Summit delegates identified several priorities, including long-term planning between government, regulators, water companies and agriculture, recognition of water for food production as a national priority, quicker planning and licensing decisions for on-farm reservoirs, greater support for capturing and storing water during wet periods, continued investment in irrigation technology and research into potato varieties better suited to drought and flooding.

Chief executive of GB Potatoes, Scott Walker said: "Water is not an optional extra for potato production. It is fundamental to maintaining the crop we grow today and absolutely essential if we want to increase British production in the future.

"Without reliable access to water, we will see further reductions in domestic production, greater volatility for growers and processors, and increasing reliance on imports. That would weaken our food security and export jobs and investment from the British supply chain.

"Growers are prepared to invest in reservoirs, irrigation technology and more efficient water-management systems, but they need a policy and planning framework that gives them the confidence to do so.

"We experience periods when there is too much water and periods when there is far too little. The answer is to enable growers to capture water when it is available and store it until crops need it.

"If government is serious about economic growth, food security and increasing domestic food production, then water for agriculture must be recognised as strategic national infrastructure."

Delegates also heard that greater investment in agricultural water storage could ease pressure on public water supplies, while helping reduce flood risk and improve resilience across river catchments.

Alongside water management, the summit explored opportunities to boost potato consumption, improve plant health, increase profitability, encourage innovation and ensure the sector continues to attract skilled people.

The event brought together representatives from across the potato supply chain, including growers, processors, breeders, retailers, researchers and input suppliers.

Speakers included Baroness Minette Batters, Andrew Niven of Scotland Food & Drink, Professor Ian Toth of the James Hutton Institute and National Potato Innovation Centre, along with representatives from McCain, Greenvale, the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society, Co-op and GB Potatoes.