This year, the Scottish government surprised seed potato growers by invoking a 40-year-old rule for the first time. Until now, producers had only ever been subjected to two rounds of crop inspections, but this season a precautionary third round was added. The goal: to wipe out bacterial blight Blackleg.
The disease, which can cause stunted growth and yellowing stems, has been a constant problem for UK growers for over ten years. And Robert Burns, head of seed and export at AHDB Potatoes, is concerned that importers of Scottish seed may begin to look elsewhere if the disease is not tackled effectively.
“The thinking behind the move was to make growers burn crops down quicker,” he explains. “This prevents the ingress of Blackleg later on in the season.
“Blackleg has always been a problem in Scottish stocks, but now the government has realised we’re suffering reputational risk on the international markets and in our domestic supply chain. The government is trying to help the industry eradicate Blackleg from stocks.”
Given recent restrictions on the use of agricultural chemicals, developing disease-resistant varieties has become the focus for growers. But the challenge for their breeders is to create seed that is not only robust to infection, but also meets the taste, texture and storage expectations of growers, retailers and consumers alike.
One such variety, which was released to the fish and chip shop market this year, is Gravity. “It is an easy-to-grow variety that produces consistent fry colours and stores very well,” says Graeme Prentice of the IPM Potato Group, which recently released commercial volumes of the seed. Importantly, Gravity is also highly resistant to Blackleg.
The other main diseases that British growers are contending with are Rostochiensis and Pallida. These Potato Cyst Nematodes (PCNs), which can cause significant yield and quality losses, have long proven difficult to combat. But now, thanks to marker-assisted breeding, British breeders are beginning to produce Pallida-resistant varieties in commercial volumes for the first time.
Varieties such as Vales Everest, Innovator and Arsenal, available from the likes of Greenvale, Suttons and Agrico, have hit the market in the past couple of years. And IPM Potatoes are hopeful of releasing Pallida-resistant varieties of their own within the next three years. “We have already selected lots of seedlings with resistance to the disease,” says Prentice. “It’s now about finding ones that also have the other attributes that customers want.”
Despite these challenges – and the AHDB’s concerns of reputational risk – demand for British growers’ seed remains high. After the Netherlands, Britain is Europe’s second-largest exporter of seed potatoes, and four years ago the UK surpassed the Netherlands as Egypt’s principal supplier of seed potatoes. Morocco, Israel and Turkey are the UK’s other major markets.
Now, the government, in co-operation with AHDB Potatoes, is looking to send its exports even further afield. Market access has been secured for Cuba and Vietnam in the past three years and the AHDB is looking at supplying the Russian market again, with seed potatoes among the products exempt from Russia’s food embargo. Kenya, India, South Africa and China are also being targeted as future export destinations, according to Burns.
The future is looking bright for British seed at home and abroad, but only if it can stop the rot.
Q&A: Andrew Skea, Skea Organics
Skea Organics, based near Dundee, specialises in organic and coloured-flesh seed potatoes. It exports almost exclusively to EU countries and its key markets include Germany, Sweden and Ireland. Company director Andrew Skea is concerned about the impact Brexit could have on his business.
What does Britain’s EU membership mean to Skea Organics?
I’ve been building the business on the foundation that I’ve got a domestic market of 500 million people. It’s very difficult if you’re dealing with different legislation. The European Union has been a fantastic facilitator for us and it will be great if we can remain in the single market.
Has Brexit made you rethink your export strategy?
It’s certainly a concern and it puts doubts in my mind about how much effort I should be putting into developing these markets in Europe. I’m going to trade shows, I’m investing in developing these markets and if they’re going to become more difficult to access, I may be throwing good money after bad.
Are you considering expanding to markets outside the EU?
I’m not upping my effort (to find alternative markets) because at the moment I don’t see any other markets becoming easier. There are other markets out there – possibly South America (Brazil), Asia (Thailand) or the Middle East (Dubai and the UAE). As time goes on, these markets may develop, but I don’t see Brexit in itself making them any easier.
