Potato production grows in 2020

Despite suffering the challenge of a second wet harvest in a row, the country’s potato growers have increased overall production by almost three per cent on the year, returning close to the five year national average crop according to provisional figures.

The Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board’s estimate of overall production stood at 5.3m tonnes – up 2.8% on last year’s figure but just below the five-year average of 5.4m tonnes.

But despite the poor weather the AHDB said that growers had generally fared better than last year, as estimates showed that 2% of the planted area was yet to be lifted, a figure which compared with 11% at the same time last year.

Earlier in the year AHDB said that the area planted in 2020 had been third lowest on record.

“Anecdotal reports suggest that yields have been somewhat variable from farm to farm, even field to field.

"Yet overall, crops are within farm expectations, so it is not surprising that the national yield is in line with recent years ,” said Alice Bailey, senior analyst at AHDB.

She explained that while the planted area had fallen by 2.3% this year, the 2.8% increase in production had been due to more of the crop actually being harvested rather than being left in the field.

Theun lifted area last year stood at close to six per cent of t he national crop, while this year’s figure would be closer to the average figure of one per cent.

AHDB is a statutory levy board funded by farmers, growers and others in the supply chain.