UK: Potato growers battling to harvest in south Lincolnshire
The potatoes go to QV Foods for pre-packing for Asda, Aldi, Lidl and M&S supermarkets, and others go to McCain for chips.
Simon says a “fairly standard” Grimme Varitron self propelled harvester is used, and adds: “It’s a good machine for lifting in the wet, and a lot of other people have them locally. We are probably one grower that puts the most through that type of harvester.”
However, Simon said potatoes were “as issue” this year, and said a lot of people were struggling to lift them and there were still quite a lot left to harvest in the district.
He said: “It’s been down to the weather. It’s been so dry and then we have had such a lot of rain and it isn’t sinking in. It’s sitting in the top five inches. Normally it would sink down and would drag the water down through the soil profile. It’s just starting to do that now.
“Spring was late so people were late planting and the potato needs so many months to grow to their full potential anyway.”
Source: spaldingtoday.co.uk
