Northern Ireland's maincrop potato harvest is around 80% complete, though recent heavy rainfall has slowed operations across growing regions.
Wilson's Country agronomist Stuart Meredith said, "The progress made with this year's harvest up to now is on a par with that achieved in 2024. The recent heavy rains have held up harvesting in all areas, but up until now, it has been non-stop harvesting for us." He added that as November progresses, frost risk increases, which could impact the remaining crop still in the ground. "As we move into November, there is an increased risk of frosts, so the sooner we get the remaining 20% lifted, the better, as the quality of the product in the ground can deteriorate quite quickly."
This year's harvest has presented several quality-related challenges. "Bruising is one of these that will have an impact on packing yields," Meredith said. He attributed the issue to low soil moisture during the summer, which caused tubers to develop higher dry matter levels. "As potato crops come under moisture stress, the dry matter content within the tubers below the ground rises rapidly, as was the case this year in some areas. Unfortunately, this leads to black bruises under the skin of the potatoes during the harvesting process. However, with the higher dry matter comes a flourier, better tasting potato for the consumer."
Yield performance has varied by region, reflecting differences in soil type and moisture retention. "All potato crops came under significant moisture stress as they were bulking up. This was a direct consequence of the dry summer weather," Meredith explained. "However, crops grown in lighter soils, such as those prevalent in South Co Down, were more badly affected than was the case in places like Northern Antrim, where the heavier clay soils are more moisture-retentive."
Average yields are projected at around 18 tons per acre, or 44.4 tons per hectare, which Meredith described as consistent with a normal season. "Our own potato acreage is up slightly this year," he said. "This reflects our growing commitment to salad potatoes, including the varieties Venezia and Empress. These salad varieties were planted out later than maincrop varieties but harvested at an earlier date."
Market trends remain uncertain as harvest continues in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. "Prices are very much supply-demand driven. With around 20% of the potatoes in Northern Ireland and around 40% of the potatoes in the Republic of Ireland still to be harvested, it's still too early to predict what the market will do," Meredith concluded.
Source: Potato News Today
