Seed potato availability is a major threat to domestic production, growers asserted at a meeting organised by the IFA in Wexford last week.

The total seed area planted in 2024 is only 250ha, a slight reduction on the 2023 total. And with no resolution to post-Brexit regulatory difficulties in securing imports of seed potatoes from Scotland, the traditional source for much of Ireland’s seed, the 600 commercial growers in Ireland are vulnerable.

Imports

Imported seed potatoes from mainland Europe were described as “very variable”. “We’re spending €1,000/acre on a product we are buying blind,” said one grower, “no-one else would do it.” Producing seed potatoes in Ireland has proven challenging, and there were calls to ensure Scottish seed is available for next year.

In terms of the current season, IFA potato chair Seán Ryan said a few crucial weeks are ahead, as harvesting of maincrop potatoes, particularly Roosters, the dominant variety, cranks into gear.

The opening price for Roosters is a key determinant of profitability for the year. While planted hectarage according to BISS statistics is up on last year yield expectations are moderate, headlands and wet parts of fields were left unplanted, and the area planted is only a return to more normal planting levels of 8,000ha after a historically low acreage in 2023.

Unharvested crops

Niamh Brennan and Robert Malone said the IFA continues to push for support for the growers who had almost 300ha of crops unharvested last winter.

The IFA will also be meeting with retailers in the coming weeks to highlight the high costs of growing potatoes this year, not least due to significant increases in staffing costs due to new minimum wage regulations. Farmers from the floor were calling for a price of €750/t as an absolute minimum.