UK: Potatoes harvest falls by 5%

The acreage of potatoes in Great Britain will, according to the second projection of the Potato Council amount to 121,800 hectares, slightly more than previously forecast (121,300 ha.). Compared to last season the area has shrunk by as much as 5%. The main variety Maris Piper, continues with nearly 20,000 hectares. Proportionally the acreage of this chipping potato shrinks the fastest. Thus came the acreage of Maris Piper in 2008 out at 25,000 hectares (20,800 hectares in crop year '11). The variety Estima has also reduced in area from 10,500 hectares in 2010 to harvest to just 6,000 hectares this season. In contrast the Markies acreage has increased sharply in recent years. The Marquis acreage in 2007 was 3,500 acres, this season the total area will amount to 7,700 hectares.

Besides the fact that the area for harvest in 2012 is significantly decreased, as expected, the average yield per hectare will be disappointing. The dull and wet growing season is to blame. In mid-July, a total potato production of around 5.5 million was expected, currently (early September) a total potato harvest of 5.2 million tonnes is a more accurate figure. That would be as much as 900,000 ton less (-15%) than in crop year 2011, when the harvest after a perfect growing season amounted to 6.1 million tonnes. In previous crop years, an average of 6 million tonnes was harvested (5.95 million tonnes in 2008, in 2009 it was 6.2 million tonnes and 5.85 million tonnes in 2010). In the last 10 years only the harvest in 2007 was lower (5.4 million tonnes). It seems the potato harvest of 2012 will be the lowest in years. This is an interesting development since in the countries (Belgium, Netherlands and France) from which potatoes are imported, there is no abundant harvest in the pipeline.