Although the humble spud was first cultivated in Peru some 8,000 years ago, it’s fair to say no other European nation has a more special relationship with the potato than Ireland.
But these are trying times for growers and processors, with the last two weather-affected seasons even having raised the spectre of shortages in supermarkets later this year.
And prices - which have already doubled since 2021 - are likely to soar further.
Indeed the difficulties for the sector in the western corner of Europe hit home in recent days when the AH Worth business in Lincolnshire, founded in 1895 and which produces and supplies potatoes, sweetcorn, leeks, kale and spinach, was forced to call in the administrators, with fears for its 200 staff.
It blamed a combination of volatile potato prices and increased operating costs, which have led to it suffering “significant losses” in the past two years.
There’s been little relief from rain and sodden ground for farmers in recent days as rainfall amounts have been two to four times above the normal range.
But Lewis Cunningham, managing director of Wilsons Country in Portadown, the biggest potato producer in the north (it produces 1,000 tonnes a week and deals with most main supermarkets), has revealed that the warm May has ‘turned the stone’ for the sector.
“March was a write-off and April was equally as frustrating, and we wondered if were were facing into a third year of adversity, which really would have been catastrophic,” he said.
“But May was a Godsend and allowed us to seed into warm soil, and the planting of this year’s main season potato crops is nearing completion, with the vast majority of crops are now in the ground.
“And early indications are that the acreages planted out are slightly up year-on-year, so it removes the immediate fear that some producers might need to import food, which would create higher emissions and further raise costs.”
Wilsons Country was established in 1986 by Angus Wilson (60) and currently works with dozens of potato growers across the north.
With more than 130 staff on its books, the company saw its turnover in the year to July 2023 - despite the prevailing difficulties - rising from £19.7 million to £23.2 million, albeit its bottom-line profit halved from £433,664 to £205,734.
Lewis added: “New season Comber will be widely available in the shops within the next two to three weeks. Again these crops have benefitted from the upturn in the weather.
“After that, it’s a case of getting on with the main crop harvest. The first set-skin potatoes of the year, mainly Piper and Osprey, will be coming out of the Carlingford area at the end of July and early August.
“And once we get in to September, the first of the main crops grown in Northern Ireland will be ready for digging.
“But obviously, all of this is totally weather dependent.”
Away from the soil, Wilson’s Country has been reducing its greenhouse gas emission levels by the 4.5 tonnes of CO2e a week since the beginning of 2024.
This is the direct result of working in collaboration with Lisburn based haulage business McCulla Ireland, which operates a fleet fuelled by ‘green biogas’ for its downstream transportation and logistics.
“We’re delighted with this agreement with McCulla, which means our outbound goods, destined for customers throughout the island of Ireland, will be transported in lorries that are fuelled with biogas produced at McCulla’s own anaerobic digestion plant in Lisburn.
“This has helped us to significantly reduce our emissions, the environmental impact of which is comparable to planting 625 trees a week, or equal to 30,000 trees in a year.”
“The arrangement with McCulla represents a win-win scenario for Wilson’s Country and the customers we supply.”
Lewis says Wilsons Country remains committed to securing a carbon net zero position within the most feasible time frame possible.
“We have recently invested in our own anaerobic digestion plant, fuelled for the most part by potato waste from the business, and it is already producing 60% of the electricity that we need on an annual basis.”
Back to the actual potato, and he says current the market can be best summed-up as a good news and not-so-good news.
“Retail pack sales remain very strong. But in contrast, sales of potatoes into the catering sector are faltering. This trend reflects the impact created by the continuing cost-of-living crisis.
“Consumers are happy to treat themselves at home, hence the strength in retail potato sales.
“However, it remains a concern that many restaurants across Northern Ireland no longer open during the early days of the week at all. This reality has impacted on the catering sector across the board.”
Regardless, Lewis is wedded to the belief that the potato - which is grown in 159 countries - remains the world’s most versatile vegetable.
“It takes less water to grow a crop of potatoes than any comparable staple food crop, including rice and pasta, and you can do anything you want with the spud - chip it, boil it, roast it, slice it, mash it. Potatoes can also be included in starters, main courses or desserts.
“So in reality, the potato really is a nugget of gold within the world of human nutrition.”
