Last summer, the price of potatoes on the free market in the UK was sky-high at around £600 a tonne; this year, the market could not be more different.
"It's hard to even put a value on potatoes at the moment," comments Robert Doig from Caledonia Potatoes. "There is just no demand. This is down to a combination of factors; we had good spring weather, and most growers planted early and expect an early crop. There may also have been a bit of hoarding going on, leading to surplus stocks, also buyers for the retailers who were in serious danger of running out of potatoes last year may have imported more for fear of being short."
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The harvest of early potatoes has already started in parts of Suffolk. At the moment, it will be small salad potatoes. Also, in Scotland, the first salad potatoes are being harvested on the East Coast of Fife.
"There was no late planting this year; in fact, most growers were way ahead of schedule. Both the early and main potato harvests will be around a week or two early. June and July are the overlap months of old and new potatoes. The main harvest will end in September, and the potatoes will be available from storage until September.
"At the moment, the Scottish crop is looking good; there were fears during a dry spell, but we got enough small bursts of rain to keep us out of danger. What happens over the next couple of months will decide the season. If we get a very dry period, it could damage the crop, so we will just have to wait and see."
Seed exports to Europe
Back in October last year, a team from the EU visited various farms to carry out an audit on British potatoes with a view to allowing seed potatoes back into Europe. Robert's Farm was one of those audited. Since then, however, the UK government has announced a trade deal with the EU, which may allow seed back into Europe regardless.
"This is great news for us, of course, but it really depends on what happens next. We need to know the details of the trade deal specific to seed exports; there may be a need for some compromises. It takes 2/3 years to grow the product for a new market, and we will have to get our customers back. This also involves investment, but we are faced with another possible change in Government in the near future, and there is always the possibility that the trade deal will be scrapped. Growers won't plan for seed exports until the trade deal is final, and we need consistency. We can't afford to invest without the guarantee of a market."
For more information:
Robert Doig
Caledonia Potatoes
Tel: +44 1738 446 723
[email protected]
www.caledoniapotatoes.com
