Scottish seed potato sector on track for record

According to Scottish Government figures, 81,968 tones of seed have been exported to non-EU countries since July 2014, with another 3,000 tones expected to be exported by the end of the season in June.

Exports are already up on last year, when nearly 78,000 tones of seed were exported outside of the EU.

Egypt is the biggest customer of Scottish seed tatties so far this season, with 52,681 tones. But major buyers are also: Morocco at 9,623 tones, Israel at 5,368 tones, the Canary Islands at 7,766 tones, Saudi Arabia at 3,984 tones, and Thailand at 3,3157 tones.

“These are fantastic figures for the seed potato industry. This is the great result of strong collaboration between our exporters, the Potato Council and the Scottish Government working together to nurture existing markets and, importantly, to develop new ones,” said Farm Minister Richard Lochhead, according to thecourier.co.uk.

Lochdead praised Colin Jeffries from Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture, who led an international team in developing a test for detecting tuber viroid, on behalf of the UN.

The method will be used to ensure Scotland remains free of the disease, to maintain international trade.

The disease is currently not found in Scotland.

The Scottish seed potato sector is worth about GBP 80- GBP 100 million to the Scottish economy. Scotland produces three-quarters of UK seed potato production, and 80% of UK seed potato exports are from north of the border.

Around 300,000 tones are exported from Scotland every year. Last year 78,000 were exported out of Europe, 20-30,000 went to the EU, and the rest was sold within the UK.

Scotland has been exporting seed and ware potatoes around the world for many decades. Data on the volume of trade, export destinations and varieties exported are collected each month from Phytosanitary Certificates issued by the Scottish Government.