The British Potato Council's latest estimate of calculated end-February stocks for all home crop supplies in the UK is 2.16 million tonnes.

This figure is down two per cent from the 2001 crop, but 18 per cent above the crop from two years ago.

Crop utilisation from the 2002 harvest to the end of February 2003 is estimated at 4.84mt. This is seven per cent up on the 2001 crop and 14 per cent above that of two years ago.

The remaining high utilisation rate is down to increased movement into the supply chain by purchasers in response to high grading waste, particularly in autumn 2002. This high level was maintained to the end of January 2003, but started to slow during February.