When it emerged in December that volume sales for fresh potatoes were three per cent higher in 2018 than three years previously, it must have come as welcome news to growers who have long been concerned about falling consumption.
The sales boost to a total of 2.2 million tonnes, according to Kantar Worldpanel, has coincided with an AHDB campaign to boost potato consumption that was funded by the EU and run jointly with Bord Bia in Ireland. AHDB Potatoes strategy director Dr Rob Clayton is confident that the three-year campaign, entitled ‘Potatoes: More than a bit on the side’, has played an important role in turning consumers back onto potatoes.
“We hope [the figures] show that the work we have put into spreading all the good nutritional news about potatoes – like the fact that they are fat free, gluten free and low in sugar – is beginning to take hold,” he said when the statistics were released in December. “We have also invested in social media influencers, so that shoppers can see their peers cooking with potatoes in ways that fit their lifestyle. Health is important but enjoyment is the main reason that we buy food. Potatoes are tasty, convenient and affordable so it’s no surprise we’ve had a good reaction to the campaign.”
In addition to the impact of the campaign, Clayton says the supply chain has “moved a long way” in giving consumers a better and more coherent offer. “Most retailers are now offering up far fewer SKUs than they used to and have recognised how thin the line is between consumer choice and confusion,” he says. “Consumers seem more willing to stick with varieties they start to understand rather than looking for something new all the time.”
Volume growth has also coincided with a decrease in average price, adds Greenvale’s marketing director Leon Mundey, and this is down to an increase in retail promotions. “The promotional activity has had a positive effect on volume per trip as well as driving an increase in penetration,” he says.
Where new varieties are being added, they tend to be sold in the premium tiers within a specific retailer where they develop a following, says Sharon Affleck, sales and marketing director at Branston. “The new products focus in on varieties that simplify usage for consumers, for example the perfect roasting potato each and every time, and those that bring something new and different to the table,” she adds.
However, beyond this, disease resistance is key, according to Clayton. Most notable varieties – such as Royal, Gemson, Innovator, Lanorma and Taurus – have strong pest and disease resistance, variously covering potato cyst nematode (PCN), powdery scab, leaf roll and blackleg. “It’s something that the industry can shout about in terms of providing solutions around crop protection without losing out on eating or processing characteristics,” he says. Exciting recent variety launches include Greenvale’s exclusive variety Lilly, which has won a Quality Food Award, and seed potato variety Tyson, which was selected for its high marketable yield, early bulking and suitability for baking. The producer has some seed available for growers to trial this year.
Despite these reasons to be cheerful, it should not be forgotten that 2018 was a very challenging year for potato growers with the extreme weather conditions posing huge challenges. The summer heatwave contributed to a five-year low in volumes – a reduction of 13 per cent on the five-year average. The full extent of the weather’s impact remains to be seen as we are still only halfway through the season, but Clayton says it’s “all hands to the pump” this winter as growers try to handle early sprouting.
“The situation is manageable, but growers will be talking regularly with supply chains to get the best unloading dates to suit their own crops’ storability,” he says. “Returning to business as usual will take some time and we expect markets to remain tight until any new crop surfaces. All eyes are on reservoirs and boreholes at the moment and in some catchments, growers will be looking long and hard at their irrigation capacity for 2019.”
