Secure access to water must be recognised as a national food-security priority if Britain is to increase potato production and reduce its reliance on imports, industry leaders have warned.
The issue dominated discussions at the recent Potato Industry Growth Summit, hosted in London by GB Potatoes and the National Potato Innovation Centre. Bringing together representatives from across the supply chain, the event explored the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of one of Britain’s most important food crops.
Delegates agreed that the country already has the growers, expertise and supply-chain infrastructure required to expand domestic production. However, increasingly unpredictable weather and restrictions on agricultural water use could threaten existing crops and discourage future investment.
The summit took place between the second and third heatwaves of the year, making the question of how Britain captures, stores and allocates water particularly timely.
Scott Walker, chief executive of GB Potatoes, said: “Water is not an optional extra for potato production. It is fundamental to maintaining the crop we grow today and absolutely essential if we want to increase British production in the future.
“Without reliable access to water, we will see further reductions in domestic production, greater volatility for growers and processors, and increasing reliance on imports. That would weaken our food security and export jobs and investment from the British supply chain.”
A crop under pressure
Britain has experienced three drought years over the past decade, in 2018, 2022 and 2025. Spring and summer rainfall has also remained well below long-term averages across many parts of England this year.
Yet the challenge is not simply a lack of rain. The 2025/26 winter was among the wettest on record, while late and waterlogged springs affected potato crops in both 2023 and 2024.
Growers attending the summit reported longer gaps between rainfall, punctuated by shorter and more intense downpours. This volatile pattern increases the need to capture water when supplies are abundant and store it until crops require irrigation.
Potatoes are especially vulnerable to water stress during tuber initiation and bulking. Inconsistent supplies can reduce yields, restrict tuber size and cause quality issues, leaving parts of the crop unsuitable for retailers or processors.
Over the growing season, a potato crop typically requires around 350mm of water – equivalent to approximately 1.4 million litres per acre. This total is met through rainfall, moisture held within the soil and irrigation.
The pressures are especially relevant to Scotland, where potatoes are an important part of the agricultural economy and organisations including the James Hutton Institute are leading research into crop health and more resilient varieties.
Reducing reliance on imports
Defra figures show that the UK required 7.1 million tonnes of potatoes in 2025, but British-grown crops accounted for only 71% of that demand. At the beginning of the century, the country produced around 90% of the potatoes it needed.
Delegates called for long-term planning involving governments, regulators, water companies and the agricultural sector. Such collaboration, they argued, would give businesses the certainty required to invest in reservoirs and other water-management infrastructure.
The industry also wants faster and more proportionate planning and licensing systems for farm reservoirs, alongside policies allowing water to be collected during periods of heavy rainfall and used during subsequent dry spells.
Walker added: “Growers are prepared to invest in reservoirs, irrigation technology and more efficient water-management systems, but they need a policy and planning framework that gives them the confidence to do so.
“We experience periods when there is too much water and periods when there is far too little. The answer is to enable growers to capture water when it is available and store it until crops need it.
“If government is serious about economic growth, food security and increasing domestic food production, then water for agriculture must be recognised as strategic national infrastructure.”
Investment in agricultural water storage could also ease pressure on public supplies as demand grows through housing development, population increases and climate change. Farm reservoirs and coordinated water systems may help manage heavy rainfall, reduce local flood risks and strengthen the resilience of wider catchment areas.
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Other priorities identified at the summit included improving irrigation efficiency, soil health and drainage, as well as supporting research into drought- and flood-tolerant potato varieties.
Speakers at the event included Baroness Minette Batters; Andrew Niven of Scotland Food & Drink; Olivia Theaker of Co-op; Ian Pennock of McCain; Patrick Hughes of the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society; and Professor Ian Toth, director of Scotland’s Plant Health Centre and the National Potato Innovation Centre at the James Hutton Institute.
The summit also examined how the industry can increase potato consumption, protect plant health, restore profitability, attract skilled workers and use innovation to create a more resilient British potato sector.
