Potato Growers Advised to Reduce Acreage

26 February, 2004

Teagasc potato specialist, Tom Maher, has advised potato growers to reduce the area planted in 2004 in order to avoid a repeat of this the current difficult markets.

Speaking at the National Potato Conference in Maynooth, Co. Kildare, he said the good yields and excellent harvesting conditions last autumn has led to an over-supply of potatoes with a consequent big drop in price.

“As a result, profitability of potatoes has fallen dramatically and many of the country’s 800 growers have made a loss of up to €1,250/hectare (€500/acre)”.

“While exports of our leading variety, Rooster, to the UK and the purchase of the Northern Ireland potato processing plant, Ballymoney Foods, by southern and northern growers are welcome developments, the reality is that the area planted in 2003 was too large for the markets which exist,” said Tom Maher.

Irish farmers planted 13,500 hectares (34,000 acres) of potatoes in 2003. Tom Maher urged that the acreage needs to be reduced by 15% in 2004 if growers are to return to the profit levels which existed in 2001 and 2002.