Irish Farmers Association: Potato Demand Is Up While Crop Development Is Slow

Demand for potatoes has picked up again this week as temperatures have cooled compared to recent highs, Irish Farmers Association (IFA) says.

Early crop remains scarce, as the farmers wait for the April plantings. There were some crops planted in March; however, these are not irrigated and therefore development is stagnant.

Generally, development is very slow in both early and main crop. In the worst-case scenarios, some crop will not survive unless sufficient rainfall occurs in the near-term, the farmers warn.

Other growers report crops flowering already. The situation is similar across the UK and most of north Western Europe, with the April 2019 price now trading 20% higher than the similar position last year. These further delays and yield reductions in the 2018 crop bode well for old season crop still in store.

It is now certain that this crop will be needed going forward and this week growers have received significant farm gate price increases in the wholesale and peeling sectors on the back of this realization.

Ex-Farm Potato Prices reported to IFA: