Comment: Harvesting continues this week. However, difficult conditions are hampering harvest once again. The majority of main-season Rooster crop was harvested by the first week of November last year. It looks like it may be near the end of November this year.

There is excellent market demand for any Kerr Pink crops available, especially since Queen potato stocks are now depleted – quoted prices reflect this.

Lifting progress is quite variable across Europe. Lifting progress was put at 60% in France, but only 10% in northern Belgium. Northern European coastlines got the worst of the weather, while parts of southern Germany report good progress.

As the Brexit deadlines gets ever closer, a British exporter has reported that a Portuguese supermarket has delisted all UK potatoes from its shelves, as, if there is a no-deal Brexit, technically it would be illegal to stock them. The Canaries, while they are not a trading part of the EU, are also erring on the side of caution in relation to Brexit. Some exporters are wary of having stocks ‘on the water’ on 31 October.

Read more

Listen: developing three on-farm small-scale biogas plants

Listen: Government support scheme for biogas needed to kickstart sector – IrBEA