UK potato production has hit its lowest level since 2012 and the fourth smallest since 1960, down by 13% on the five-year average of 5.6m tonnes at 4.9m tonnes.
The relatively low production figure is a result of an estimated 4.4% drop in planted area, and a 12% drop in average yield.
The crop was heavily impacted by a combination of late planting and the prolonged hot and dry weather that stalled tuber growth in June and July, according to the annual AHDB estimate.
The one area of Britain that avoided the effects of the summer heatwave was Scotland. Potatoes grown north of the border enjoyed a 3% increase in yield against last year to 49.2 tonnes per hectare (t/ha).
But the total production of potatoes in Scotland was still down, due to a decrease of 1.6Kha in planted area.
