potatoes

Solid sales expected for Irish potatoes

Supermarket chain SuperValu, Ireland's largest purchaser of potatoes, has announced that it expects to sell€25 million worth of Irish potatoes this year.

The retail firm, which annually sources 20,000 tonnes of potatoes from growers in regions including Dublin and Cork, says that the first crop is of excellent quality and present in all 197 SuperValu stores across the Republic of Ireland.

Martin Kelleher, MD of SuperValu, said that the firm spent€75 million on local suppliers last year and claims that the investment ensures the highest quality of fresh produce.

Making the announcement, Kelleher said: “We are delighted to stock the first of this season’s new Irish potatoes in SuperValu and as the largest purchaser of Irish potatoes we are proud of our commitment to Irish farmers who play a central part of communities all across the country.'

A staggering 75 per cent of SuperValu's stock is home grown or souced from Ireland, with the business contributing over€1.6 billion to the Irish economy.