International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox has secured a deal with China to supply seed potatoes, which will bring major benefits to potato growers across the UK and particularly in Scotland, where 70 per cent of the 100,000 tonnes of potatoes exported annually originates.
The seed potato export market is already worth an annual £90 million to the UK, with some varieties fetching up to £900 per tonne. Moreover, China is the largest global consumer of the potato, its demand is increasing at a rapid rate and the vegetable is now China’s fourth staple crop after rice, corn and wheat.
Dr Fox had a successful trip to China earlier this month, as he also signed a multi-million pound contract with the Chinese Government to allow the import of UK dairy products made with milk into the country.
As Dr Fox commented, the rapidly-growing Chinese market offers huge potential for UK farmers. According to recent research, around 60 per cent of people in China would actually pay more for a product, just because they knew it was British.
He added that, as China is expected to have 220 cities with a population of more than a million by 2030, there is a huge market for UK potato farmers to make the most of. The deal will add to the current £67.5 billion trading relationship with China.
The news has been welcomed by the agricultural industry, with a spokesman for the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) saying that it is a real achievement to be one of the first western countries able to export seed to China. This has been achieved through a lot of hard work and the great reputation of UK seed potatoes, renowned globally for their high health status and high quality.