Growers across the UK are being urged to check their potato seed in the fight to contain an outbreak of the contagious disease ring rot.

Defra officials made the plea after it emerged that a Herefordshire farmer whose potatoes were infected with the disease purchased two batches of Dutch seed.

All growers using potato seed with the grower numbers 50214 and 52115 should contact the Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate immediately.

The contact telephone number is 01904 455 174.

The disease was detected in two potatoes of the Sante variety as they passed through a packing machine in Cambridgeshire last Friday (30 July).

John Mercer, the Hereford farmer whose potatoes contained the disease, said: “My concerns are that this doesn‘t get taken out of context and scare consumers or have a negative effect on the industry.”

While it is known that the seed was produced in the Netherlands, Defra officials admitted they could not be sure where the disease originated.

The situation echoes the case of Welsh farmer John Morgan, whose Provento seed crop suffered the first ever UK outbreak of ring rot in November 2003.

Both Mr Morgan and Mr Mercer sourced seed through the Dutch company Agrico.

Agrico seed director Jan van Hoogen said: “We are concerned and shocked that there is another case – the UK represents a large part of our business.

“We are working with the Dutch department of agriculture and have initiated trials on potatoes from both growers to establish whether the disease originated in the Netherlands.”

Mr van Hoogen also confirmed that Mr Morgan had bought a different batch of seed to the seed purchased by Mr Mercer.

Mr Morgan said he was devastated when he heard there had been another outbreak. He added: “I really thought that it would be eradicated for the sake of the industry.”