Scottish farmers are keeping potatoes on British tables, according to AHDB statistics. After surviving 2018’s drought better than England, the proportion of Scottish potatoes in GB stocks now accounts for 34%.

AHDB analyst Aidan Wright explains: “The start of the season saw massively reduced production across GB, mitigated in part by a large carryover from the 2017 crop.

“Scotland has remained fairly stable, with large quantities of old crop potatoes being marketed well into the new season. This helped reduce dependence on new crop at the start of the season.

“The relatively healthy situation north of the border means that Scottish production has been supporting demand down south.

“Since harvest, Scottish potatoes have made a slow and steady exit from grower stores, heading south of the border and over the Channel to mainland Europe.

“While the 2019 crop appears to be coming on well at this stage, the reserves of potatoes left in Scotland will go some way to ensuring packing supply across GB for the remainder of the season. Exports continue to storm ahead and the majority of this is assumed to be Scottish supply.”