Experts warn UK potato production is at risk as extreme heat and drought intensify. Researchers and farmers alike are urging urgent investment in resilient varieties to secure the future of this staple crop.
A national research project shows that potato farmers across the country need alternatives, fast, to shore up staple veg for the future. Professor Ian Toth, director of the National Potato Innovation Centre (NPIC) at The James Hutton Institute, cautions that Britain “is not prepared” for how climate change is impacting crops.
His remarks come as the Met Office confirmed that 2025 was the warmest summer on record in the UK.
Pressure on potato production
Toth stressed the difficulty of producing high-quality potatoes during increasingly hot and dry conditions. “Whether it’s this year or next, we are certainly going to see the consequences on potato crops. We are going to be less reliant on what we can produce in the UK and we are going to have to import them.”
Ways to develop new potato varieties more resilient to heat, drought, pests, and diseases are already in motion, but he says progress must accelerate. The Scottish Government supports this work, though Toth argues a stronger commitment across the UK is critical. “The technology is out there but we need faster action. If we don’t get a move on when we hit crunch time we are in danger of not having the alternatives.”
Climate attribution and rising risks
Dr Mark McCarthy, head of climate attribution at the Met Office, explained how greenhouse gas emissions have dramatically increased the likelihood of extreme summers.
“In a natural climate, we could expect to see a summer like 2025 with an approximate return period of around 340 years, while in the current climate we could expect to see these sorts of summers roughly 1 in every 5 years.”
Farmers, prices, and the way forward
At a 2024 NPIC workshop, farmers ranked climate change among the top five challenges for production and called for new, fit-for-purpose varieties.
Toth said the feedback confirmed what researchers already suspected: “We knew this was important but now we have information from the horse’s mouth, to say this is what people want.”
Meanwhile, the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) warned that food inflation will outpace other goods in 2025, with extreme weather directly threatening core staples like wheat and potatoes. Potatoes are the world’s third most important food crop and the second most important in the UK.
A 2024 NPIC farmer report underscored that understanding the impacts of extreme weather and acting on them cannot wait.
Source: The James Hutton Institute. Original article here
Image: Professor Ian Toth is director of the National Potato Innovation Centre (NPIC)