Home-grown new potatoes are welcomed each year by consumers eager to sample their distinctive, soft flesh and thin skins. As the sector swings into action, producers are busy marketing their crops and are hoping for high consumption levels this year.
“It is always a special time of the year when the British new potato season kicks in and we think this season could be one of the best yet,” says Jenny Liggat, Asda fresh produce buyer.
Planting conditions across the land have been variable, but some areas have seen some of the best conditions in recent years and the cold winter has helped reduce pathogens and break down heavier soils. However, a lack of significant rain for a number of months, particularly in the East, has brought its own problems.
Rob Burrow, market information manager at the Potato Council, says progress during most of the season has been well ahead of 2008 and in some regions, most early crops were planted by early April and all planting was completed in early May. “Although early crop development has been steady, warmer weather would have promoted more rapid growth and increased tuberisation rates in early crops,” he explains.
According to recent information, yields for first early crops have been higher compared to last year but remain slightly behind 2007 levels. “By mid-May, crops were showing an average of 15 tonnes per hectare, compared with 13t/ha last year and 18t/ha in 2007,” Burrow says.
The Cornish season began around a week later than last year as a result of the colder winter conditions.
Cornish grower Treve Berryman, who is based at Pauls Green Farm in Leedstown, began harvesting on April 20. Growing conditions have been satisfactory, but demand for Cornish potatoes has been poor for the last month. “Normally, demand for the new crop is much better than it has been to date - it has been slow,” Berryman says.
Insiders are partially attributing depressed demand to the higher prices of new potatoes compared to conventional product, while others say the attention given to Jersey Royals by retailers is also having a knock-on effect on demand for their crop.
“Jersey Royals are being given priority treatment by the retailers,” says one Cornwall-based producer. “I do not believe that the Jersey Royal is a better potato than the Cornish new potato; each has got its own particular taste, but more retail shelf space is being devoted to Jersey Royals.”
According to the grower, the emphasis on Jersey Royals by the multiples has forced Cornish and other regional growers to market a much higher percentage of their crop through the traditional wholesale markets, and this has reduced prices.
Jersey Royals reached their volume peak in May and there was some surprise among the industry that certain retailers offered the brand at half price throughout the month. “It will be interesting to see if Jersey Royals will be funded as a loss leader by those two retailers or whether growers will have to pay for the price reductions,” says a leading producer. “It is clear that retailers are trying to grow their market share during the recession and are using aggressive tactical promotions.”
Berryman says: “A new potato is not like a maincrop potato. We can’t harvest it and then put it in coldstorage for a couple of months. It has got to be sold quickly - that is the whole objective of a new potato.”
Meanwhile, Pembrokeshire new potatoes hit the shelves in Asda in early May. The spuds were supplied by Puffin Produce and were hand-picked on the bank of the river Cleddau. “Providing our 22 Welsh stores with locally grown and packed potatoes year round is an important part of our local strategy,” says Liggat. “We know our customers and stores are looking forward to local new potatoes hitting the shelves in Cornwall, Kent, East Anglia, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, as well as Ayrshire in Scotland.
“We are delighted to have such a strong regional offer in store, recognising how important locally grown fresh produce is to our customers.”
Asda has a number of marketing initiatives planned to celebrate the start of the season and latest TNS figures show the retailer enjoying growth in the new potato category of 18.3 per cent year on year.
New potato volumes will peak in June and July and while it is too early to predict actual figures for this season’s crop, tuber numbers have been decent, say insiders. Burrow says that final production levels will depend on weather conditions, particularly rainfall, during the summer months. “The crop has the potential to produce similar or higher yields than in 2008, provided moisture levels are maintained,” he explains. “However, a dry summer has been forecast by some, which could reduce output and maintain a steadier trend in the market.”
Simon Martin, sales and marketing director of QV Foods, says new potatoes grown under fleece look good and were protected against the wind. Furthermore, soil temperatures have been significantly higher compared to open field. “There will be significant tonnages in shops imminently,” he predicts.
Paul Coleman, Greenvale’s technical director, is cautiously optimistic. “New potato sales are weather-dependent; if we have good weather in June and July as is expected, I predict sales will be strong,” he explains. “At the moment, conditions look good.”
Although last year’s poor summer hit new potato demand, sales overall have been enjoying double-digit growth for a number of years.
Many UK consumers want to produce healthy meals quickly and supporters say new potatoes tick all the right boxes. “New potatoes are convenient and can be cooked with very little preparation - lots of consumers don’t even wash them - and they are ready in 20 minutes,” Coleman says. “Even with the recession, consumers are still looking for convenience, health and taste, and new potatoes deliver on all fronts.”
This summer, marketers are hoping that the new potato campaign will arrest the declining levels of potato consumption among young families. Under the Love Potatoes umbrella, the Potato Council intends to educate families about the seasonality and provenance of potatoes and drive home the key message of simple potato ideas for easy dinners that are budget-friendly, healthy and local.
“Currently, fresh potato consumption remains dependent on heavy usage by the older and retired age groups,” explains Kathryn Race, Potato Council marketing director. “Younger families now make up the lowest consumers of potatoes and unless we can increase the number of potato meals they eat in the home, there will be significant implications for the long-term growth of the industry.”
Potatoes often lose out to pasta at mealtimes and campaigners will be busy informing families that potatoes can be as cheap as 13p a portion, as well as healthy and tasty.
Over the next few months, the Potato Council will build awareness of the Love Potatoes campaign among families by attending regional shows, country shows, shopping centres and family events. At these events, the trade body will showcase a new range of easy and simple recipe ideas and extend its Grow Your Own Potatoes educational project.
Meanwhile, Greenvale has joined forces with Sainsbury’s and aims to provide customers with the first and freshest local new potatoes available. The Local First For Fresh potatoes are grown within a few miles of participating stores and are harvested and delivered to the store by growers on the same day. Between early May and July, depending on the time of the local harvest, some 35 Sainsbury’s stores will be involved. The scheme will see total food miles for the new potatoes being cut significantly - in some cases, to fewer than 10 miles.
The new potato deal has seen significant growth in the last decade and insiders are confident that the sub-category can continue to grow its market share as better varieties and greater consumer awareness will propel it forward.
In terms of new varieties, Greenvale has high hopes for the Vales Emerald variety which, according to Coleman, gives the producer a 10-day advantage. “This potato is a cross between Maris Peer and Charlotte and has very good cooking qualities,” he explains.
According to Coleman, it takes approximately 10 years to breed a new potato variety and five years for it to reach the commercial stage. “We had the foresight and planning to start work on new varieties with the Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI) in the mid-1990s and we are now reaping the rewards of that investment, which involved both money and effort,” he tells FPJ. “Competitors are trying to follow suit and are working with other breeders, but it is much better when a company has full control over a variety; otherwise you have to compromise.”
Coleman argues that there are still opportunities in the way that fresh produce, in particular potatoes, are promoted. He says that in the past, potatoes have not had the right attention, but changes are afoot.
Consumer research conducted by the Potato Council identified that many consumers under the age of 35 had poor knowledge of which potatoes to use for different cooking methods. With this in mind, Tesco has launched five brightly coloured potato packs. The new ‘ideal for’ range is available in 2kg bags and advises consumers on which potatoes should be used for baking, boiling, roasting, mashing and making wedges.
Meanwhile, trading of the maincrop has been stable during the season and prices for best-quality stocks rose gradually, as demand increased and supplies became tighter, Burrow tells FPJ.
QV Foods will work with its customers to promote UK seasonality. The producer has an extensive trials programme and is currently looking at some 80 different potato varieties. “There are some very interesting ones coming up,” Martin says.
QV Foods also plans to unveil some new products in its Inspire range in the near future.
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