Fewer potatoes will be planted this year according to The National Cropping Intentions Survey, conducted by the National Farm Research Unit (NFRU). The survey predicts a 7.5 per cent decline in the area of potatoes grown compared to last year, bringing the expected area in 2003 to 134,000 hectares.

Jim Williams of the NFRU said: 'Many farmers were disappointed with the pricing last season, which was not surprising bearing in mind the laws of supply and demand and a bumper UK crop of 6.77 million tonnes.' Williams concluded: 'There were however some interesting regional variations in the study, with the area of potatoes in the eastern region and Scotland predicted to remain static but the North West, West Midlands, Wales, North East, Yorkshire and Humberside increasing slightly the area of potatoes to be planted. The East Midlands was the region that intended to reduce its potato area the most followed by the South East.'

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