According to a Dublin-based fresh produce supplier, Irish potato prices have doubled over the past twelve months, and further market increases might be ahead.
Owner of a fresh fruit and vegetable supply business, Justin Leonard: “Last summer’s drought created a major shortage in potato supplies right across Europe. Here in Ireland, potato growers had also come under pressure on the back of fast rising fertilizer and energy costs. The electricity costs associated with the climate-controlled storage of potatoes represent a significant component of the budgets required to produce ware potatoes in any normal year. But, obviously, these figures increased dramatically during the 2022/2023 season. This was a direct result of the increased energy costs impacting on the Irish economy as a whole.”
February saw an opportunity for Irish growers to service the market for potatoes in Portugal and across southern Europe. “Obviously, growers took the opportunity that was presented to them,” Leonard stressed. “But the end result was a critical shortage of potatoes for the Irish market. Currently, potatoes cannot be sourced from any region of Europe. Last year’s crop has now been fully utilized. The end result has been a doubling of potato prices, year-on-year.”
Potato price outlook
“The 2023 planting season across mainland Europe was very badly affected by floods and extremes of weather during the months of March and April,” Leonard continued. “And poor weather also played its part here in disrupting the plans of Irish potato growers. The very wet weather of March and April meant that farmers could not get main crops planted out until the end of May.”
“In a normal year, it is expected that Irish ware potato crops will be in full leaf by the summer solstice. This will not happen in 2023. As a result, there is a strong likelihood of 2023 potato yields being well back on normal levels.”
Source: agriland.ie