Ilẹ̀ Gẹ̀ẹ́sì: Agbègbè Ìṣunkún tí ó dínkù sí Nǹkan bí 60% Láti ọdún 1961 gẹ́gẹ́ bí Ipese Àwọn Agbègbè Ilẹ̀ Gẹ̀ẹ́sì 29% ti Lilo

The United Kingdom now grows potatoes on a much smaller area than in the past. In 1961 production was 6.81 million tonnes at a yield of 22.5 tonnes per hectare, according to FAOSTAT data published by Our World in Data. This implies an area of about 303,000 hectares. In 2024 the same data show 5.52 million tonnes at 46.6 tonnes per hectare, or about 118,000 hectares.

So the area fell by roughly 60%, while the yield more than doubled. National output peaked at 7.81 million tonnes in 1992. Since 2015 it has stayed around 5.5 million tonnes.

Akoko 2025

The environment ministry Defra published its annual report Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2025 in July 2026. According to the report, the area sown rose to 127,000 hectares in 2025. This compares with 118,000 hectares in 2024 and 115,000 hectares in 2023.

Harvested production rose by 8.5% to 5.55 million tonnes. The average yield was 48 tonnes per hectare. Potatoes for human consumption reached 4.52 million tonnes. Seed potatoes accounted for 561,000 tonnes.

Prices moved in different directions. The average price for early and maincrop potatoes fell 18% to £262 per tonne. The ministry linked this to very high prices in 2024. The seed price rose to £490 per tonne, from £444 a year earlier. The total value of production fell 5.4% to £1,463 million.

Trade and self-sufficiency

The United Kingdom remains a large net importer. Imports were 2.50 million tonnes in 2025 and exports were 430,000 tonnes. Most of the net trade is processed products. Net imports of processed potatoes equalled 2.21 million tonnes of raw potatoes.

Domestic production covered 71% of total new supply in 2025. The share was 67% in both 2023 and 2024. For seed, the country is a net exporter of about 94,000 tonnes.

Water is the main operational risk. The ministry said irrigation was the principal challenge in 2025. Some crops needed water every three days. Irrigated crops yielded more than 80 tonnes per hectare, while crops without irrigation gave about 30 tonnes.

Idi ti o ṣe pataki

The British crop is now grown by fewer, more specialised farms on less land. Yield gains have kept the total volume stable. But the country still depends on imports of frozen and other processed products for almost a third of its supply.

For seed exporters, the United Kingdom stays a net seller. For processors and traders in continental Europe, it stays one of the main outlets for frozen products.

Photo: Maris Piper potatoes near Montrose, Scotland (illustrative). Adrian Diack / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0