14 December 2020
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2020 GB potato production up 4% year-on-year
DESPITE the 2020 planted area to UK potatoes decreasing 2.3% year-on-year, potato production for 2020 is estimated to rise 4.1% (210Kt) to 5.37Mt, according to AHDB analyst Alice Bailey.
This is in line with the five-year average (2015-2019), but sits 676Kt below the bumper year of 2017. Although a year-on-year rise, this year’s production is only ranked the seventh largest since 2010 and is by no means a bumper crop, Alice states.
The rise in production, despite a drop in planted area, is driven by two main factors. Firstly, the GB yield estimate from the harvested area is up 0.7t/ha, to 46.3t/ha. Alongside this, the estimated area left unlifted is lower this year. While 2020 had its own challenges throughout the lifting campaign, it was somewhat easier for most growers compared with 2019.
There are sector and regional differences though. Production increases have not been seen across the board.
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