5 minute read
Is Scotland’s potato industry at a crossroads of opportunity?
GAVIN PRENTICE, SENIOR POTATO CONSULTANT, SAC CONSULTING
To some, a potato is just something that ends up mashed on a plate or crisped in a fryer. But, in Scotland, the potato is part of a proud agricultural heritage and a cornerstone of the rural economy, where ideal soils and climate have helped produce some of the finest seed and ware potatoes in the world.
Today, however, Scotland’s potato industry stands at a critical juncture. Faced with climate volatility, changing trade dynamics, pest and disease threats, and rising input costs, growers and the wider supply chain are being challenged like never before. Yet, amid these pressures, innovation and resilience are driving new possibilities, from precision agriculture to alternative export strategies.
Scotland produces approximately one million tonnes of potatoes annually, with a significant portion being high-grade seed potatoes exported globally. Scottish seed potatoes have a reputation for health and quality, thanks to strict disease controls, cool growing conditions that limit pests, and generations of expertise. Key export markets have traditionally included Egypt, Morocco, the Canary Islands, and previously parts of Europe. But the importance of potatoes in Scotland goes beyond export statistics; they support hundreds of farms and rural communities and feed into the UK food industry and supermarket supply chains. They are a part of Scotland’s identity - from local chippies to Burns Night suppers.
One of the most disruptive shifts in recent years has been the loss of access to EU markets for Scottish seed potatoes post-Brexit, resulting in an estimated loss of £11 million annually. As of July 2025, exports to the EU remain blocked. However, earlier this year, political agreements between the UK and EU have agreed to allow Scottish seed potato exports.
Although the political agreement is in place, the legal texts still need to be drafted, published and approved before any changes can come into effect. At present, there is no confirmed timeline for when trade will restart, but growers will be hoping for positive news soon! Since 2020, many growers and companies have had to pivot to alternative markets- some successfully, others with difficulty.
The Scottish seed potato market has had a major shakeup in recent years, not least due to Brexit but also the way we trade with our largest export market, Egypt.
Egypt takes over 50,000 tonnes of Scottish seed annually, accounting for a whopping 60% of the total export markets supplied. The potatoes are shipped in a short space of time between September and December, and causing a logistical headache for marketing companies and growers. This is particularly the case as each 25-tonne load is typically packaged in 50kg hessian sacks, placed on (heat treated) wooden pallets, sent by refrigerated containers via trucks to ports and then eventually loaded onto large vessels.
The market was largely serviced by seed companies, acting as intermediaries between producers and customers, providing protection when things do not go to plan. However, over the past five years, independent Egyptian buyers have been dealing directly with Scottish growers, cutting out the middlemen and often paying a premium with money upfront prior to shipment. This has proved a tempting offer for many- new entrants and ware growers alike. The seed area planted for in demand Egyptian varieties has rocketed this year, which is likely to cause potential oversupply and reduced prices. Scottish growers have a lot of eggs in the Egyptian basket, and I worry some might be over-committed and unprotected if the trade were to collapse.
Fertiliser prices remain volatile following global supply disruptions. Labour, machinery, and chemical costs are up. Energy costs - particularly for long-term crop in cold storage - are biting hard. And, for the ware growers, despite recent improvements, supermarkets continue to exert downward price pressure. Therefore, growers are often being squeezed from both sides.
Climate change has brought milder winters and warmer summers to countries throughout Europe, with weather extremes frequently more common. In turn, the agriculture landscape has become trickier, with Scotland no exception. For potatoes, virus vectoring aphids have increased significantly and colonised in crops much earlier in 2025. Potato leaf roll virus (PLRV) is now one of the major challenges facing Scottish production, like our European friends. And that is also a threat to the entire UK supply chain. Going back in time, pre-2020, you would be hard pushed to see many leaf roll infected plants across Scotland’s 10,000 ha of seed production. We are not entirely sure what has caused this damaging rapid expansion in recent years, but we have several theories. These include over-wintering aphid survival, chemistry and timings of applications, the potential for less symptomatic virus strains, management practices, varieties, and extended field generations.
The situation is complex, but the good news is that Scottish seed remains in demand and much healthier than that of our competitors. With the need to tackle challenges head on, investments in science, technology, research and development, field trials and breeding across the sector is under way. More farms are turning to precision agriculture, implementing soil sensors, drone monitoring and satellite imagery to make real-time decisions on irrigation, fertiliser applications, and disease control. This can reduce inputs, cut carbon emissions, and support healthier crops. These technologies are becoming increasingly affordable, and support through government grants are available, like The Future Farming Investment Scheme (FFIS).
Potato growers, processors, exporters, and policymakers are beginning to work more closely together to build a cohesive national potato strategy. Co-operatives like the Seed Potato Organisation (SPO) are uniting growers to protect export markets, chemistry and support research and development.
The Scottish potato industry has never faced greater complexity. With targeted investment, collaboration and support, potatoes could be one of the country’s most important future crops, not just historically significant, but globally relevant.
Whether you are a grower in Aberdeenshire, a chef in Edinburgh, or a policymaker in Brussels, what happens in Scotland’s potato fields matters to everyone.
