United Kingdom: How the potato harvest has performed in a difficult 2025 season

Four farmers were interviewed to find out how their crops performed.

Fife

David Bell, Granja Upper Magus

Scottish farmer David Bell has seen significantly higher yields this year on his 60 hectares of potatoes, which are grown within a broad crop rotation.

The main varieties grown on the farm are Gemson, Maris Piper, Cultra and Elland, intended for both the salad and meat product markets.

“Average yields have been around 60 t/ha. That represents an increase of 5 t/ha compared to last year and is above our average for the last five years,” says David.

The drought affected the Maris Piper plants, which required constant irrigation. However, the overall quality appears good initially, although results are not yet available.

Soil moisture probes have again proven valuable in helping to maintain consistent soil conditions, although limited water supplies meant that irrigation was prioritized for Piper’s blocks.

While yields and quality are encouraging, the market has been much more difficult.

“Sales of free products have been very low and salads have been a nightmare,” says David.

He explains that a new supermarket buyer has been acquiring salads from the south, which has disrupted existing contracts and supply chains.

“It has completely disrupted my cash flow and storage plans. I’ve had to rent additional crates and storage space, and when the harvest finally sells, it will be at a lower price: a quadruple blow.”

Rising costs have put additional pressure on the company, as warehouse rental, maintenance, and machinery parts increase the cost of production.

However, pest and disease levels have been low thanks to more favorable growing conditions, which has allowed for a slight lengthening of the intervals between sprayings.

Storage space has been limited this season, and less activity has forced him to use cattle pens and thatched sheds for extra space.

Looking ahead, David plans a slight reduction in the area cultivated with potatoes to maintain a six-year rotation and move towards a one-in-seven rotation for more effective integrated pest management (IPM).

“We’ll see what new ideas come out of the winter meetings,” he adds, “but for now, it’s about selling this season’s harvest and learning from the challenges.”

North Norfolk

Tim Papworth, Granja Lodge

Tim Papworth, potato grower for LW Papworth Ltd in North Norfolk, has been pleased with the results of a bountiful harvest.

Salad potatoes, their main potato crop, have reached yields of 37 t/ha, more than 1 t/ha above their average of the last five years.

Tim grows numerous varieties of potato chips and salad potatoes on 90 hectares of land, including Premier and Maris Peer.

“The sun has helped us a lot this season,” says Tim.

“We irrigated all our crops and had plenty of sunshine, which resulted in very good overall quality. I’m very happy with how the potatoes turned out this year.”

The drought conditions meant fewer problems with diseases and pests, which allowed him to reduce his use of chemicals.

Tim’s crop establishment follows a detailed routine: deep tillage to remove stones with a narrow mesh, and then planting three rows per bed to ensure even growth and good soil structure.

While quality and performance have been solid, the open market has been difficult this year, but that hasn’t been a problem for LW Papworth.

“Fortunately, all our contracts have been fulfilled and we don’t have a single potato left on the farm,” says Tim. “Everything was shipped immediately after sorting and all our salads have found buyers.”

Production costs have continued to rise, especially those for labor, fertilizers, and machinery, putting pressure on margins despite high yields.

Looking ahead, Tim plans to increase the area planted with potatoes next year, relying on his contracts and advance planning.

“We make sure everything is ready in advance,” he says. “The key is to anticipate, know how the harvest is going, and keep improving year after year.”

Norfolk occidental

Mark Means, Los Laureles

Drought conditions and water shortages have affected the production of potato grower Mark Means, from west Norfolk.

Growing 100 hectares of potatoes in silty alluvial soil that retains moisture, he is already worried about where the water will come from for the next season.

Mark grows a wide variety of plants, including Maris Piper, Nectar, and Melody.

“In spring everything went smoothly. The seedbeds were in good condition and the crops established themselves well, but the season soon became complicated once water began to run out,” he says.

The farm’s two reservoirs dried up before harvest, and although irrigation helped protect harvesting conditions, some irrigated crops did not receive their final watering, leaving them slightly dehydrated and vulnerable to bruising.

Non-irrigated fields were also affected, showing below-average yields and quality.

“We expect to reach around 50 t/ha, which is a decrease of between 5 and 10% compared to last year. Our silty soils usually retain moisture well, but even they had problems towards the end,” he says.

The quality has been acceptable, although some varieties have internal problems and bruising. However, he has expressed satisfaction with the overall quality, given this year’s conditions.

Wireworms remain a threat to Mark’s potato production, and he strives to reduce the risks in a benign way through agronomic practices.

The high temperatures during the ascent also made it difficult for the locals to cool down quickly.

“We perform quality control checks every 20 or 25 boxes, which means that this year we analyzed more than 200 samples. It is essential to know exactly what we have in order to meet our customers’ standards.”

Around 75% of the harvest is grown under contract, with a strong focus on fulfilling those commitments before deciding on a marketing strategy for the remaining stocks.

Costs have risen dramatically, driven by higher labor costs, social security contributions and machinery prices, along with increasing financial pressure from increased borrowing and heightened risks.

Looking ahead, Mark plans to refine the selection of varieties, better tailor crops to customer needs, and is hoping for much-needed winter rains to refill reservoirs.

Yorkshire

Andrew Wilson,  Granja Brickyard

Andrew Wilson, a farmer from York and a writer for Farmer Focus, has seen a decrease in his average yields this year on his 68-hectare crop of potatoes, with varieties including Royal, Innovator, Olympus, Alanis and Sagitta.

“This year’s average yield is around 45.2 t/ha, approximately 6% less than our average of the last five years,” says Andrew.

The hot summer brought more challenges than the lack of rain, with several days of temperatures close to 20 and 30 degrees that caused the interruption of the harvests.

“A cooler September really helped the late development of the plants, and if we hadn’t sown in a humid environment after last winter’s rainy weather, I think we would be in a much worse situation,” he explains.

Although some chain tuberization and secondary growth were observed in Royal, the overall quality has been acceptable.

Most of Andrew’s potatoes are grown under contract, but with stable markets he believes this could delay the transport of his harvest.

This year’s Sagitta crop is destined for the open market, which is oversupplied and will face a more difficult market.

“The market is in crisis; the large, cheap harvests in Europe are not helping prices or the circulation of goods,” he says.

Cost pressures remain high, especially regarding irrigation. "Irrigation is expensive, time-consuming, and not as efficient as I’d like," he says.

“That said, improving soil conditions through cover crops and manure has proven effective in retaining moisture, improving structure, and reducing agricultural labor.

“We establish the crops using minimum tillage, running a tine cultivator through the cover crops and manure before shallow plowing or using a Shakaerator if appropriate.

Pest and disease pressure has been low, thanks to the effectiveness of biostimulants and careful management of blight, which has allowed for small savings in crop protection.

Looking ahead, Andrew remains committed to potato production despite the risks.

“We have a significant investment in this crop, so we will continue to focus on improving processes and taking advantage of opportunities as they arise. Processing will remain our primary market.”