Meet the NFU Potato Policy Group

He is a third-generation farmer who grows 650 acres of processing and crisping potatoes in Ryedale, North Yorkshire along side his brother and son.

Edward, who works off an 80 hectare farm, sells potatoes through a number of merchants to fish and chip shops. 

He grows on a combination of owned land, permanently rented, contract farmed and single crop rented land. 

Alastair farms with his brother near Telford.

They took over the farm in 2010 at which point all the land was being contract farmed by a third party and they had free range layers. 

Since taking over they have converted their poultry site back to broilers with 114,000 birds per flock.

They've also taken all the arable land back in hand and now rent a large acreage on a mix of annual and long term tenancies.

Alastair now grows 168 hectares of processing potatoes, 168 hectares of cereals and 46 hectares of Oilseed Rape. 

Land is a mixture of tenanted, contract farmed and seasonal rents.

He grows 240ha potatoes predominantly for processing markets, particularly the Cornish pasty industry, as well as for early crisping.

As well as potatoes, Jeremy grows onions, daffodils and combinable crops alongside beef and sheep enterprises.

In addition to the farm, Jeremy runs a vegetable processing business supplying washed, peeled and prepared vegetables into a variety of outlets.

The farm covers around 2,500 hectares of land where he uses the latest techniques to produce high-quality market fresh root vegetables, packing potatoes and onions.

The main site at Brandon Fields includes two vegetable packhouses and employs around 80 full-time employees alongside seasonal staff.

Andrew enjoys meeting up with like-minded potato growers and is passionate about new technologies and products which contribute to farming sustainably, ensuring a future for many generations. 

Andrew believes the potato industry needs to make its voice heard within government as well as higher up the supply chain, to ensure British potato growers remain sustainable. 

The farm comprises 400 acres of mixed cropping on predominantly black Fenland peat soil. Crop rotation is wheat, barley, sugar beet and potatoes.

Luke grows a modest acreage of 20-30 acres of potatoes per year for the fish and chip market.

He sells potatoes direct to the public, delivering locally and posting nationwide.

Representing tenant farmers for NFU Cambridgeshire, chairing his local NFU Branch (Ramsey & Whittlesey), and farming in a strong potato growing area, Luke is well informed with the concerns and challenges facing potato growers; weather, input pressures and market volatility being key issues.

Although his acreage is small, it represents a large proportion of the farm’s income and expense, so the impact the potato trade and policy has on Luke’s farm is great. He brings a grass roots growers perspective to the board, with a particular focus on tenanted farms producing the crop.

L & D Flowers Ltd was founded in 2007 after James finished his education at The Royal Agricultural College in 2005.

Over the past 18 years, James has built the business from 20ha to 1250ha of rented land, by continually looking for ways to improve efficiency, and the determination to be better than the previous year by looking forward at market trends. 

L & D Flowers Ltd grow potatoes for the chipping, crisping, processing and packing markets. They also grow, pack and distribute cut flowers for the grocery multiples. Finally, they grow cereals to help achieve a sustainable crop rotation.

James is passionate about growing sustainable potato crops that can be marketed to their full potential.

He feels that the public needs to be educated at a young age about the benefits of eating whole foods such as potatoes and given the knowledge to be able to cook meals for themselves from real ingredients. He believes that if we don't do something, the industry will continue to decline.

James looks forward to hopefully having a positive input to the challenges our industry faces over the following years. He firmly believes educating young children on how to use the products we grow is the answer to the decline in demand we are all seeing. He would also like to see positive press and advertising about the nutritional benefits of potatoes.

They are based in North Cheshire on a mixed farm growing cereals, potatoes and livestock.

Andrew is very passionate about the industry and likes to encourage the next generation. This has included setting up new enterprises in livestock as this is his son’s passion.

Andrew is also heavily involved in young farmers and holds a top table position in his local club.  

He feels it is important to be in a position where, if it is possible, he can make changes for the better in the industry, and make it stronger for generations to come. 

He is Seed Potato Production Manager at RS Cockerill, a leading supplier and packer serving the retail, processing, and food service industries.

Allan is very concerned for the future of the potato sector and was a member of the Potato Marketing Board for the last 18 months of its existence, he then became a founding member of the British Potato Council and continued in that role for nine years.

When the NFU Potato Forum was launched he was happy to be a part of it and has continued into the newly constituted Potato Policy Group.