Serious Concerns for the Potato Markets After Storm Babet Hit UK

Storm Babet, which made landfall in the UK on October 19th, produced severe rain, causing widespread flooding, particularly in Scotland. Potato growers in Angus, to the northeast of Edinburgh, were among the hardest hit.

“Most potato crops, which were still in the ground, were affected. According to market sources, roughly 25% to 30% of the crop in this region was yet to be harvested and still in the ground, sources went on to mention growers in this area typically have a later planting and harvesting schedule compared to the rest of the UK, this because of the colder and often wetter weather,” the latest Mintel report reveals.

Based on the market sources, the damaged region mostly cultivates Maris Piper potatoes, which are already expensive. The Mintec Benchmark Price for Scottish Maris Piper is EUR300/mt, with no year-on-year comparisons provided because the data period started in August 2023. There is a usual transportation reduction between Scottish and English costs.

“English Maris Piper follows a similar price trend to the Scottish price. Currently, it is priced at EUR355/mt, reflecting a 77.5% year-on-year increase. Maris Piper prices have consistently remained high in the 2023-2024 marketing year due to limited supply in the free-buy market. Industry sources anticipate that the impact of Storm Babet will likely support prices in the coming weeks as the full extent of the damage becomes more apparent,” the analysts concluded.