A shortage of home-grown potatoes in Irish shops is a distinct possibility unless the packing houses and supermarkets increase returns to growers, the IFA has warned.

Increased fertiliser and land-rental costs are putting the viability of commercial potato growing under severe strain, farmers maintained.

Growers also pointed out that the average cost of storing spuds this winter and spring had almost doubled – increasing from around €65-€70/t last year to €120/t this year – due to the hike in energy costs.

IFA potato committee chairman Seán Ryan said many potato growers will be forced out of the business unless the pack houses and supermarkets are willing to increase returns to their farmer suppliers.

Ryan pointed out that prices in the supermarkets had increased from €5.99 to €6.49 for a 7.5kg bag of potatoes, but none of this lift had been passed back to growers.

IFA officials are meeting the supermarkets and potato packers this week in an effort to secure price increases.

Ryan would not be drawn on the level of price increases being sought from retailers and packers, but growers indicated that some of the increased cost of storage this year will need to be covered.

Maintaining growers

Growers were paid around €300/t for maincrop potatoes last year.

“Unless the supermarkets and packers are willing to move on prices, the potato sector is going to follow the same pattern as the vegetable sector and we are going to lose a lot of growers,” Ryan said.

Pointing out that there are just 170 or so commercial potato growers remaining in the country – growing around 20,000ac of spuds – Ryan said every effort should be made to retain them.