Britain's crisp supply is under threat as the nation's potato crop shrivels in the hot, dry conditions of multiple heatwaves. Consumers may see fewer packets on shelves, and those that reach pubs and shops could cost more.
Potato crop feeling the heat
Potato agronomist Kate Mayne, from Shropshire's Ruyton-XI-Towns, said farmers are under pressure as the lack of water will mean fewer potatoes harvested and those that are may not be as high quality. The Met Office said this summer is on course to be the UK's hottest ever, with July in England and Wales the driest since records began in 1836.
Farmers nationwide have struggled to get water on crops and admitted they are facing huge losses. Mayne, who is also Shropshire's National Farmers' Union county chair, said groundwater supplies were not getting replenished and farms were struggling to irrigate.
“The farmers are trying to keep up with the demand that the crop would have to make sure that it grows but they're really struggling to do that,” she said. “It is because of the sheer intensity of the heat - the fact we have not had any rain for goodness know how long.”
Processors face size challenges
Mayne noted that due to peaks in temperature, there are hours during the middle of the day when potatoes cannot grow. “We expect as a consumer and the processors, like Walkers and McCain's, for a certain size of potato,” she said. “When we do import potatoes they tend to come from within Europe but they have suffered just as we have.”
Farmer invests in water storage
Farmer Ben Savidge, from Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, said his potato yields were down by up to 50% because he does not have access to irrigation. He has been using water efficiently and has started building a reservoir.
“We have got to certainly become more resilient as a farming industry because we're having more and more years like this there's no doubt,” he said. “We are having more and more rainfall in the winter which needs to be better captured so we've put a lot of investment over the last 12 months. We have also built two smaller catchment ponds to capture that water. Then we will be pumping all of that up to a new purpose built reservoir which is going to double our current water storage.”
