Colorado Beetle eradicated from the UK but vigilance remains essential

Colorado Beetle eradicated from the UK but vigilance remains essential

The UK has officially eradicated the Colorado Beetle following two years of intensive surveillance and biosecurity activity. The pest was detected in Kent in July 2023, with one further finding later that year. Since then, no additional beetles have been identified, allowing Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to confirm eradication status….

Dr Food’s prescription for the potato industry

Dr Food’s prescription for the potato industry

The potato industry will have to fight ever harder for its place on the plate. But there are still plenty of opportunities for the world’s favourite tuber. Those were the messages from globally-recognised food market expert Professor David Hughes at a seminar organised by GB Potatoes at the British Potato Event in Harrogate. “The UK…

Potatoes prove the most Christmas faithful stalwart on festive plate

Potatoes prove the most Christmas faithful stalwart on festive plate

Turkey may have been replaced by beef or a nut roast, sprouts by peas, but the one stalwart of the Christmas dinner is the potato according to a new survey*. More than two-thirds of Britons will not sacrifice the roast potato this Christmas and a third will be eating mash, proving that one of the…

CIPC Residues Monitoring Group submits second-year draft report and calls for industry support to secure future potato storage capacity 

CIPC Residues Monitoring Group submits second-year draft report and calls for industry support to secure future potato storage capacity 

The CIPC Residues Monitoring Group (CRMG), a cross-industry body, has submitted its second-year draft report with the Health and Safety Executive’s Chemical Regulation Division (CRD). The report provides new evidence on chlorpropham (CIPC) residues in potatoes stored during the 2024/25 season and will inform CRD’s annual review of the temporary Maximum Residue Level (tMRL), currently…

Grow for your market, not for one that doesn’t exist

Grow for your market, not for one that doesn’t exist

GB Potatoes member Tim Rooke farms in partnership with his brother and son in North Yorkshire. They grow around 600 acres of processing potatoes for the chipping and crisping markets, including King Russet, Pentland Dell, Lady Rosetta, Brooke and Taurus. He is Chair of the NFU Potato Policy Group and Vice Chair of the NFU…

GB Potatoes launches national survey to assess industry confidence, production and future outlook

GB Potatoes launches national survey to assess industry confidence, production and future outlook

GB Potatoes has launched a new Potato Industry Confidence Survey to capture a comprehensive picture of grower sentiment, production trends and the factors shaping the future of the potato sector across Great Britain.

The survey is designed not only to measure confidence, but also to gather detailed information on the hectares of potatoes being grown, providing the first consistent, nationwide benchmark of production levels across the industry. This insight will help GB Potatoes, the industry, and government understand the scale, distribution and operational realities of potato cultivation, alongside growers’ business confidence and the environmental and market challenges they face.

Water and Drought

Water and Drought

Drought Conditions Could Continue into 2026 Despite Recent Rainfall Despite some much-needed rain this autumn, large parts of England remain in drought as we head into winter.  While the rain received over the last couple of months is very much welcome the National Drought Group (NDG) has warned that unless we see sustained and above-average…

GB Potatoes – Knowledge Exchange partners for British Potato 2025
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GB Potatoes – Knowledge Exchange partners for British Potato 2025

GB Potatoes are proud to have been working with the organisers of the British Potato event 2025 as the Knowledge exchange partners. A major part of this role has been to develop an exciting programme of seminars that will offer something to the whole industry across the two days of the event. With some exciting…

New industry development programme looks to cultivate the future of the potato industry

New industry development programme looks to cultivate the future of the potato industry

GB Potatoes, in association with the British Potato Trade Association (BPTA), has launched a new initiative to support the skills and knowledge development of future growers, leaders and industry experts. Supporting individuals from seed production to the end of the supply chain, the Potato Industry Development Programme is designed for new entrants to gain a…

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