Over the past month, the price of certain potato lines has increased by as much as 22%, mainly due to weather-related supply issues. Core lines of Maris Piper potatoes in major supermarkets experienced significant price rises. Specifically, 2kg bags of Maris Piper potatoes saw price increases of over 10% in stores like Lidl, Waitrose, Aldi, Tesco, and Sainsbury’s between the weeks commencing 8 January and 12 February.
Sainsbury’s British Maris Piper Potatoes (2kg) experienced the largest monthly price increase, rising by 22.2% from £1.35 per bag to £1.65 per bag. Tesco's equivalent pack saw a price rise of 21.3% during the same period. This follows an annual average price increase of 11.5% across the potato category for the year ending 9 September 2023, as reported in The Grocer’s Top Products survey.
Last year's prices were similarly affected by weather conditions. Poor weather conditions led to a 10% reduction in annual potato plantings, with a large proportion of crops being underwater. The drought during the summer of 2022 and the resulting low yields forced early market entry of potatoes initially intended for storage, potentially leading to a shortage towards the end of the season. The weather not only impacted the availability but also the quality of potatoes, resulting in many crops being unsuitable for retail packaging.
There were warnings last month that increased imports of produce might be necessary to fill gaps in root vegetable supply adversely affected by weather conditions.