Supermarket giant Morrisons, which sources potatoes from 40 growers in Scotland, recently announced the closure of the grading and storage depot at Clayholes Farm near Carnoustie. The company says plans to close its potato grading and storage depot in Carnoustie will not affect its Scottish growers and its commitment to buying Scottish potatoes. It said the announcement, which will result in up to 12 redundancies, was made with “deep regret”.

The retailer said “continuing efficiency gains” in its supply chain had resulted in the Clayholes facility only grading 6% of the potatoes it handles, and its role could be absorbed by other parts of the Morrisons supply chain.

A Morrisons spokesperson said: “The closure does not mean that Morrisons will be buying any fewer Scottish potatoes, nor is its commitment to Scottish potato growers in any way reduced.”

NFU Scotland‘s communications director, Bob Carruth, said the union was gathering feedback on the implications of the announcement on its members. “There is welcome commitment to Scottish potatoes in the Morrisons statement but we are awaiting further information on where supplies previously sent to Clayholes will need to be delivered to in the future, and whether that has cost implications for growers.”

The Clayholes facility has undergone a number of changes in the past few years and the site employed 90 members of staff five years ago when it was owned by Farmcare.

Earlier this month Morrisons agreed to a GBP6.3bn takeover bid from a consortium of investment groups.