A quarter more potatoes in British storage

At the end of November, 3,6 million tons of potatoes were still in storage, an increase of 23% compared to the same period 1 year earlier. Not surprising, considering production ended 15% higher at 6,04 million tons. It was the last time in the 2011/2012 season that so many potatoes were in storage.

At the end of November 2016, the volume was 2,9 million tons. That was a record low. The potato volume is usually more than 3 million tons. These figures come from a telephone survey among growers. The stock available at trading companies and processors is not taken into account. AHDB maintains a margin of error of 5% in the calculations.

More consumption
The government service only looks at the number of tons. No attention is paid to quality. Storage problems are certainly noticeable this season. Especially where the harvest took place under wet conditions. In addition, consumption is 130.000 tons higher compared to last year. According to AHDB, this can be explained logically. After a year with relatively low inventory, demand is greater at the start of the season. The time of harvest also influences consumption.

The current scenario can move in two directions, AHDB believes. This has everything to do with product quality. If the shelf life is disappointing, the stock level may have fallen significantly this month. However, the trend is that warehouses are better equipped and factories use their raw materials more efficiently. This actually causes the stock level to be higher. A new stock survey will be conducted this month.

No shortages
Even with high consumption and high losses, AHDB does not expect a tight situation to arise on the market. Simply too many potatoes have been grown and stored for that. This is the opposite of the situation in 2016 and 2015, when there was a shortage on the market. However, the quality can still cause surprises, especially at the end of the season.