Scottish potato growers are increasingly nervous about the health status of their sector as the threat of virus increases and their arsenal to defend crops is taken away. Fortunately, the issue appears to be focused in the ware sector, which is no consolation for the affected growers but shouldn’t undermine the seed export trade.

The reduction in chemical options for controlling pests and diseases is partly to blame for the increased levels of virus appearing in ware crops. However, overturning spray bans will be a long and tortuous road.

The most pressing need is for the ware sector and seed growers to assess the current inspection rules from SASA, ensuring the tolerance levels as well as methods of destruction are appropriate and whether new grading or planting rules are needed. Leaving tubers in the ground riddled with the virus gives the disease an unneeded head start in 2025. The diseased plants need to be killed off, so volunteers do not appear and start the cycle again.

Another option on the table is potential mandatory distances between seed and ware crops, which obviously presents logistical challenges but there are no easy solutions. Furthermore, continuing to use the same retained seed stock on the farm can also potentially increase the virus burden. No growers have broken any rules, so could there be a case for government compensation, as it is with bovine Tb or should it be left to the industry like BVD?

The reputation of the Scottish seed potato industry must be robustly defended, but the balance of the sector is changing with ware growing no longer playing second fiddle. New strains of the virus in Europe have thankfully yet to come into Scotland, but we can’t rest on our laurels. An updated plan and review of the rules is a must building on the good work by SAC and the Association of Potato Producers at last year’s summit.

Work by the James Hutton Institute and SRUC will be critical in the battle against disease. Significant investment will be needed to turn some of the novel techniques into commercial options. There is also a massive role for gene editing within the potato genome to speed up breeding of new varieties. It is still mind boggling that Scotland is at the forefront of some of these breeding techniques yet they can not be grown commercially. If a new resistant variety is developed for the market, competing nations could get all the reward from our academics hard work.

The demand for tatties is strong and we don’t have enough to feed the 67m people in the UK. No other crop is able to produce as much nutrition per acre for consumers. Currently UK production meets 62% of demand which implies that import substitution could see the sector grow by 38% to the point where we are self sufficient making our food supply chains more resilient while reducing or eliminating food insecurity concerns.

As food inflation hits other countries abroad, such as key customers like Egypt, demand for potatoes will continue to grow. When meat and fish become too dear, then an extra tattie needs to go into the pot to keep the family going; this is true the world over.

To safeguard the sector, how the rising virus burden will be reverted must continue to be addressed. Luckily, the largest field event for the sector is only a few days away as the industry will gather at Potatoes in Practice near Dundee on August 8, perfect timing to talk.