Some things are worth the wait, as consumers of UK potatoes are discovering. At last, following delays caused by unusual weather patterns, production is finally ramping up.
Low temperatures and wet conditions in early spring meant a slightly slower start to planting this year, according to Rob Clayton, the Potato Council’s new director. “Throughout April, soil conditions improved and rapid progress was made; by early May, plantings caught up with the 2009 previous season,” he explains. “The majority of the UK crop is expected to be planted by the end of May, like last year.”
The appearance of Jersey Royal potatoes marked the start of the new season. Growers have invested heavily in this brand and some 6,700 acres - around half of the island’s cultivated land - is devoted to its production. The Jersey crop is followed by Cornwall, which produces a range of varieties including Rocket, Premiere and Arrow. Although two weeks later than last season, Maris Peer was available to one of the multiples two days earlier, according to the Potato Council.
Cornwall is followed by Cheshire and Pembrokeshire, where liftings took place before mid-May.
“The weather will strongly influence growing conditions and this year’s production levels,” Clayton says. A provisional estimate of UK potato supply for 2010-11 will be published by Potato Council in November.
Stocks at the end of March were estimated at 2.1 million tonnes, up 15.7 per cent compared to the same period last year. However, the late start to the new crop, later imports and an extended season should help to reduce stock levels.
Initially, there were high hopes for Jersey this season, but the island is facing challenging conditions. “Everything that could be thrown at us this season has been,” says William Church, commercial manager of The Jersey Royal Company. “The safest thing to say is that it’s not been an easy season.”
This year’s crop was two weeks late due to the prolonged winter. However, Church points out that planting conditions were favourable and growers were well ahead on last season. Unfortunately, then came the adverse weather and persistent easterly winds.
Jersey has not seen substantial rainfall since early April except for some “drizzle” in mid-May, which meant that the water needed to bulk up early plants failed to materialise.
“Irrigation units have been operating, but parts of Jersey are like concrete - harvesters were going at half the rate and at half yields,” Church told FPJ in mid-May.
Potato volumes are down 50 per cent in some areas, although the drop is less pronounced in others. “Overall, it’s likely that volumes will be down by 30-40 per cent this season,” Church says. “Mid-May is our peak season and, usually, we would be exporting around 1,500t a day, but it’s been more like 600t this season.”
The second crop will be lifted at the end of June and early July, with the season expected to run until July.
The overall response to Jersey’s plight has been huge. Retailers have been invited to the island to enable them to see the difficult conditions firsthand and most have been sympathetic, according to insiders.
In addition, Church says that there has also been “fantastic support” from the media. “We’ve had so much coverage in national newspapers and TV, and Heston Blumenthal released a recipe using Jersey Royal for Waitrose in May,” he says.
Meanwhile, there is cautious optimism in Cornwall. The first Cornish new potatoes were lifted in early April and marketed under the Growfair - Pride of Cornwall brand. The potatoes were grown by Andrew Thomas of Goldsithney.
According to recent reports, the Cornish season is running approximately two weeks late due to this year’s record cold winter.
Growfair’s brand manager David Pearson says a decrease in yields could be offset by better prices, but the situation is consumer-led. “We’re hoping for a nice, busy summer to increase demand,” he adds.
QV Foods, which launched an Inspire-branded British new potato range last month, handles UK potatoes for six months. “Everyone will have read and heard about new potato shortages in recent weeks but at QV Foods, we have a season that runs from April through to October and with a wide variety of sources and options, we will always be well placed to ensure continuity of supply,” says director Simon Martin.
Branston is one of the UK’s biggest potato buyers, packers and distributors and has sites in Lincolnshire, Somerset and Scotland. According to commercial director Richard Clark, planting started later than normal but the warm and dry April meant that most growers managed to catch up. However, crop growth has been very slow due to cold weather.
Clark says the consumer appears to be moving away from larger new potatoes and demand is increasing for the smaller sizes. “The best prospects generally come to the grower who ends up with the least problems,” he adds. “Maris Piper this season has been full of issues and the market price reacted to this, even though the volume available appeared to exceed demand.”
“It’s vital that growers choose varieties that meet buyers’ specifications in the specific markets they are growing for,” Clayton says. “The main customers work closely with their grower base to indicate specific requirements before the crop goes into the ground - only in this way can the supply chain be competitive and profitable.”
However, despite the activity, if consumer consumption patterns are left to continue as they are, Clayton says there is a very real threat to the potato supply chain. “Sales of fresh potatoes are driven by the older generation, with younger consumers opting for more meals with rice and pasta,” he explains. “The challenge is to reach out to this audience and ensure they see the potato as versatile, tasty and easy to prepare.”
The Potato Council has a planned programme of activities throughout the season to promote consumption. These activities include roadshows across the country, the distribution of recipe cards and work with celebrities to promote potatoes and ensure they remain popular with all age groups. “In the longer term, the Grow Your Own Potatoes project aims to change the perception of potatoes and ensure a new generation of consumers see the potato as integral to their diet,” Clayton says.
Ongoing investment in new product development and focusing on quality is vital to ensure the industry keeps up with the changing demands of consumers.
“Educating different audiences - from children and shoppers to policy and decision-makers - about potatoes and the significant role they play as part of the nation’s diet is also a crucial step in boosting demand,” Clayton says. “We need to increase awareness and understanding that they are quick, tasty and economical, and provide a range of meal ideas to suit each audience and their different lifestyles.”
The sector remains concerned about blight and the Potato Council is calling for more Blight Scouts to sign up for this season, ahead of the onset of its Fight Against Blight campaign 2010.
Bayer CropScience is urging growers to stay vigilant when dealing with late blight. “There have been aggressive strains of late blight for the last two to three years and the message we have for growers is don’t be complacent,” says Neil Thompson, Bayer CropScience’s product manager. “It’s important that growers keep using robust fungicide products such as Infinito at seven-day intervals to control this disease.”
A recent report by the Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI) reveals that the number of A2 Blue 13 blight cases, which is the dominant blight strain across Britain, have fallen. However, cases of A1-6 or Pink 6 blight are rising. This strain was first identified in 2004 and is also an aggressive strain, currently representing around 12 per cent of the blight population.
Meanwhile, restrictions on active ingredient metaldehyde will have consequences for the UK potato sector and could change the way producers apply it, according to sources. Many slug pellets are based on metaldehyde and slugs are a major pest to potatoes that attack tubers underground before harvest.
Under new guidelines for the 2010 growing season, the amount of metaldehyde that can be applied during the tuber bulking period has been significantly restricted.
The best practice guidelines for the annual maximum advised dose rate remain unchanged for the calear year at 700g. However, a new maximum single application rate has been reduced from 250g to 210g metaldehyde per hectare.
Slug pellets based on methiocarb can still be used and Scottish Agronomy has been working on slug control programmes that uses both methiocarb in the form of Draza forte and metaldehyde in an integrated programme, says Eric Anderson, senior agronomist at Scottish Agronomy. “In practice, in low-risk situations, two well-timed applications of Draza forte may be sufficient, but in high-risk situations, repeat applications are warranted,” he explains.
But these challenges aside, the UK potato industry has a bright future, as long as the major players continue to innovate and the sector comes together to increase consumption. How this season will pan out remains to be seen, but with a strong offer and new brands hitting the market, the UK potato industry should have a lot to look forward to.
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