Fruit and Vegetables and other Crops

• Just under 29,000 hectares in Scotland grew potatoes, representing 17% of the UK’s potato acreage.
• Scottish output is over a million tonnes, worth £104 million.
• Potatoes are grown on more than 3700 holdings in Scotland.
• 25% of the holdings account for 77% of the potato acreage.
• Scotland’s farmers also produce over 131,000 tonnes of oilseed rape worth over £19 million.
• Scottish producers produce 2400 tonnes of raspberries and 4600 tonnes of strawberries.
• A total of 1600 hectares of fruit is grown on 520 holdings.

Apart from cereals, the two main crops produced in Scotland are potatoes and oilseed rape. As well as seed potatoes, Scottish farmers grow “ware” potatoes for human consumption.

Other “field vegetables” such as carrots are also grown, but these are restricted to the very best land and are important locally.
Soft fruit production also tends to be concentrated in fertile areas such as Tayside.

Most of us eat potatoes in some form every day, whether it be as crisps, chips, mash or as whole potatoes! Strawberries and raspberries from Scotland are famous worldwide and make the perfect summer pudding! Oilseed rape can go towards producing oil for cooking but also towards producing biodiesel which can be used as a more environmentally friendly way to power vehicles.