The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board anticipates that the total area dedicated to potato planting in Great Britain will fall by some 3% compared to 2017; the third lowest area on record. As a result, availability to supermarkets will decline in late October as the central crop is picked mid-September.
With production down, frozen potato supplier McCain’s is increasing prices by 20% at the start of September, in anticipation of the supply fall. And while this subsector has recently undercut total food inflation, other suppliers will likely follow suit to dampen the shock felt in November.
Source: retail-insight-network.com
