This season has so far been characterised by a late start that has given growers and suppliers a headache just as they are battling to negotiate the market and meet the demands of heavy promotional activity at the major multiples.
Jersey, in particular, has suffered a substantial shortfall that has “wreaked havoc” for trade following one of the worst droughts on the island for more than 30 years.
This had a knock-on effect on the UK crop as some retailers turned the red pen on new potatoes from the mainland in order to go ahead with planned promotions that had already been advertised on TV.
“The new potato season has been difficult to say the least,” says one supplier. “Sales have been up and down and all over the place. The situation in Jersey has wreaked havoc in the market, which has been a disaster.
“All the retailers use Jersey Royal to boost footfall, with hard-hitting promotions that are planned well in advance. But Jersey Royal is a week-to-week crop, not something you can plan for. With Jersey supplies unavailable for promotion, retailers have been pushing growers to go on promotion with the likes of Charlotte, with either English potatoes or imported alternatives. This has put the potato category in a very difficult situation.”
Some growers have been able to cash in on the shortfall, which is just as well as those in Cornwall, for example, were able to make up for poor returns last year.
Packers say they have taken a “damn good kicking” in the fall-out over the ongoing promotions.
But the situation has flipped now that the Jersey drought has ended and supplies have come on in volume, just as English potatoes are set to come on stream in a week or so. Jersey growers are ready to promote, which has frustrated mainland players and will take some of the heat out of the market.
Suppliers agree that across many of the major multiples, there has been little consideration for the way the season has turned out.
The delay to the new crop extended the maincrop season, with plentiful supplies coming out of store and pushing down prices so that prices failed to rally at the end the season. There is steady demand for free market stocks and growers are looking for higher prices for best-quality material.
“But there are quite a lot of growers out there who are disappointed that they have crop in store that is not good enough,” says one source.
In the meantime, this season’s production is progressing at a faster rate than in recent weeks. Cornish supplies remain limited but light rain last week did not interrupt lifting and growers are continuing to chase crops to maintain steady supply. Pembrokeshire crops are developing more rapidly after a bout of heavy rain, which boosted production without too much disruption to the harvest. Across Suffolk and Essex, more growers are starting to lift, mainly from open fields.
According to the Potato Council, the total early crop harvest to 12 June was estimated at 727 hectares with movement of 10,326 tonnes (14t/ha), compared with 654ha and movement of 12,641ha (19t/ha) last year.
But while this season’s rollercoaster has meant day-to-day challenges, longer-term issues are continuing to threaten the category. The British potato market is worth just over
£1 billion but Kantar Worldpanel figures show that over the past year, there has been a 5.8 per cent decline that has taken a £61.8m chunk out of the market. This has been brought on by lower prices combined with shoppers buying into the category less often.
Suppliers agree that if this price pressure continues, the potato category could shrink further. At the same time, the Potato Council is working hard to push sales with a series of consumer-facing campaigns.
TEN POTATO GROWERS: ONE GOAL
A team of potato ambassadors has been unveiled this week, charged with the task of boosting consumption and sales across the UK.
The 10-strong group of individuals with the future of potato marketing in their hands was named in London on Tuesday.
The growers, from across the country, will be helping with the Potato Council’s marketing work to raise the profile of potatoes, both in the media and directly with consumers. Their first assignment was to meet a range of national and consumer journalists at a Potato Masterclass, to mark the new-season crop and demonstrate the virtues of potatoes, reminding them that they are nutritious, versatile and easy to cook.
Potato Council chairman Allan Stevenson introduced the growers, alongside celebrity chef Sanjay Dwivedi and leading dietician Sian Porter. “Consumers’ eating habits are changing,” Stevenson said. “Faced with more food choices, less time and less knowledge, younger consumers, in particular, enjoy a wider range of carbohydrates, which presents a challenge to potatoes.
“Versatility, convenience and natural healthiness are strong messages to encourage more people to cook and eat potatoes, but sustainability and local produce are also generating more interest than ever before. That’s why we believe the people at the very heart of the industry, potato growers themselves, are ideally placed to showcase why potatoes should be a regular choice for every shopper.”
The ambassadors will be involved in all aspects of the Potato Council’s marketing activity, from talking to the media, attending shows and engaging with consumers directly, be it online, on their farm or in shopping centres. They will also play an integral role in the Potato Council’s schools project, Grow Your Own Potatoes, which educates youngsters about how potatoes grow.
The Potato Masterclass, held at L’atelier des Chefs, was an opportunity to showcase the new potato crop to the nation’s media.
Potato Council chief executive Rob Clayton and head of marketing and corporate affairs Caroline Evans set the scene by addressing some of the common misconceptions about potatoes before handing over to Porter, who explained their health benefits.
Dwivedi then demonstrated a trio of quick and tasty dishes, including Chinese Five Spice Potato and Chicken Salad and Quick Potato and Fish Salad, before guests were put into teams to cook and taste a range of dishes for themselves.
Stevenson will be ambassador for Scotland and he will joined by Reuben Collins for the South West, Nick Baird for the South, Matt Spanton for the South East, Tim Briscoe for the East, Andrea Adams for central England, Walter Simon for Wales, Ben Sykes for Yorkshire, Robin Cropper for the North West and Anthony Carroll for the North East.
Sykes said: “It is really important that we all take responsibility for the future and work together to ensure that potatoes continue to enjoy healthy demand. Simple health messages and recipe ideas that we’ve learnt today from Sanjay and Sian are easy to pass on and if they make more people think differently about potatoes then it is certainly worthwhile.”
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