Potato growers have contended with broken weather this spring, which has staggered planting progress. Many growers availed of the good weather in January and February to plant an estimated 1,300-1,500ac of early potato crops this year, some of which was under plastic. The earliest of these crops will have the plastic removed this week.
Main crop planting has been a much more staggered affair, with an estimated 70% of potato crops now in the ground. Planting is around 80-90% through in parts of the south, but the recent broken weather and a particularly wet weekend three weeks ago make planting the final number of acres a challenge.
Planting progress in the northwest is closer to 70% but they have missed a lot of the rain over this past number of weeks. Ground had been slow to dry initially but many growers are now slightly ahead of normal.
Anthony Battersby planting maincrop potatoes in Co Meath.
Progress in the northeast has been slower, however, with wetter ground proving slow to dry out. Depending on the market, the ground and the grower, planting completion ranges from 30% to 90%.
The area of potatoes is expected to be broadly similar to 2018 levels, with just minimal increases. However, it is likely that a higher amount of early crops may appear on the market slightly earlier this year.
EU view
Potato planting across the EU has been going much smoother than in Ireland, with planting ahead of normal. North-Western European Potato Growers (NEPG) has estimated that the area of potatoes in 2019 will increase between 1% and 2% towards almost 604,000ha in the key potato-producing countries. If this area is realised, it will be the largest area under potatoes for more than ten years.
UK: Planting is largely on schedule. Warmer weather over the bank holiday weekend helped to raise soil temperatures. Recent showers and forecast rain were also welcomed. Reports suggest some growers had to irrigate ground before planting but there were concerns about water supply and potential abstraction restrictions. This will be a key point to watch moving into the summer.
The Netherlands: The bulk planting is complete ahead of normal. Reports suggest conditions were so dry that some farmers are irrigating ahead of the planter to assist with the formation of ridges.
Belgium: Good planting progress was made in April and by Easter, some 70% of the total expected area was thought to be in the ground. Conditions are not ideal everywhere, especially where drainage is poor which lead to wetter and cooler ground conditions.
Sweden: In the south, frost and snow have set the new crop back by a fortnight. Planting of maincrop has started in the south and is about to start in the north. Most of the crop is normally planted in the first half of May.
France: The National Union of Potato Growers of France (UNPT) estimates that the total potato acreage in that country will grow this year, despite the difficulties in finding seed potatoes. Good progress has been made with planting this month.
Rices Hill Farm Ltd, Ashbourne, Co Meath
Based in Ashbourne, Anthony is farming across Meath, Dublin and Kildare this year. He is around halfway through with planting and estimates that another three weeks will see him finished. Progress has been staggered due to the weather and ground is once again wet.
“Ground conditions were only coming right last weekend, but we keep getting caught with showers,” he explains. He’s ahead of planting when compared with this time last year. However, a key difference in last year was that, once he got going, planting progressed uninterrupted in good conditions.
Two-thirds of his crop is destined for the crisping market for Tayto Snacks. He also produces main crop ware as well as a small amount of chipping varieties. We visited Anthony earlier in the spring. Watch the full video of him planting this year’s crop online.
Read more
IFA potato report: increased potato trade in border areas
IFA potato report: increase in UK and EU potato area expected
Potato growers have contended with broken weather this spring, which has staggered planting progress. Many growers availed of the good weather in January and February to plant an estimated 1,300-1,500ac of early potato crops this year, some of which was under plastic. The earliest of these crops will have the plastic removed this week.
Main crop planting has been a much more staggered affair, with an estimated 70% of potato crops now in the ground. Planting is around 80-90% through in parts of the south, but the recent broken weather and a particularly wet weekend three weeks ago make planting the final number of acres a challenge.
Planting progress in the northwest is closer to 70% but they have missed a lot of the rain over this past number of weeks. Ground had been slow to dry initially but many growers are now slightly ahead of normal.
Anthony Battersby planting maincrop potatoes in Co Meath.
Progress in the northeast has been slower, however, with wetter ground proving slow to dry out. Depending on the market, the ground and the grower, planting completion ranges from 30% to 90%.
The area of potatoes is expected to be broadly similar to 2018 levels, with just minimal increases. However, it is likely that a higher amount of early crops may appear on the market slightly earlier this year.
EU view
Potato planting across the EU has been going much smoother than in Ireland, with planting ahead of normal. North-Western European Potato Growers (NEPG) has estimated that the area of potatoes in 2019 will increase between 1% and 2% towards almost 604,000ha in the key potato-producing countries. If this area is realised, it will be the largest area under potatoes for more than ten years.
UK: Planting is largely on schedule. Warmer weather over the bank holiday weekend helped to raise soil temperatures. Recent showers and forecast rain were also welcomed. Reports suggest some growers had to irrigate ground before planting but there were concerns about water supply and potential abstraction restrictions. This will be a key point to watch moving into the summer.
The Netherlands: The bulk planting is complete ahead of normal. Reports suggest conditions were so dry that some farmers are irrigating ahead of the planter to assist with the formation of ridges.
Belgium: Good planting progress was made in April and by Easter, some 70% of the total expected area was thought to be in the ground. Conditions are not ideal everywhere, especially where drainage is poor which lead to wetter and cooler ground conditions.
Sweden: In the south, frost and snow have set the new crop back by a fortnight. Planting of maincrop has started in the south and is about to start in the north. Most of the crop is normally planted in the first half of May.
France: The National Union of Potato Growers of France (UNPT) estimates that the total potato acreage in that country will grow this year, despite the difficulties in finding seed potatoes. Good progress has been made with planting this month.
Rices Hill Farm Ltd, Ashbourne, Co Meath
Based in Ashbourne, Anthony is farming across Meath, Dublin and Kildare this year. He is around halfway through with planting and estimates that another three weeks will see him finished. Progress has been staggered due to the weather and ground is once again wet.
“Ground conditions were only coming right last weekend, but we keep getting caught with showers,” he explains. He’s ahead of planting when compared with this time last year. However, a key difference in last year was that, once he got going, planting progressed uninterrupted in good conditions.
Two-thirds of his crop is destined for the crisping market for Tayto Snacks. He also produces main crop ware as well as a small amount of chipping varieties. We visited Anthony earlier in the spring. Watch the full video of him planting this year’s crop online.
Read more
IFA potato report: increased potato trade in border areas
IFA potato report: increase in UK and EU potato area expected
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