Continuous rainfall and saturated fields mean that Irish farmers are struggling to plant the 2024 potato crop. Growers have warned that the Rooster variety could be particularly affected, as it accounts for 70 per cent of Irish potato sales.
Meath farmer Ivan Curran of Stamullen told breakingnews.ie, “We are still waiting to get planting. We should have some potatoes already planted for supply to Tayto [for crisps].” In a normal year he produces around 11,000 tonnes of potatoes, of which around 40 per cent are Rooster for supermarkets and crisping.
“It’s been borderline up to now on the start of the planting season but there is no sign of any solid spell of dry weather on the horizon,” he continued. “There is a sweet spot in mid-April that we really need to be planting our main crops. After this, we would be sure of a loss of yield and by June, it would be debatable to plant at all this year, if nothing has been planted already.”
He added that growers across Europe face similar challenges, and that many outlets will be looking to import crop from Cyprus and Egypt as a result. “I would say there will be a shortfall of Roosters by June or definitely by the Autumn. There will be Maris Pipers and potatoes maybe not as popular but it will be a case of take what you can get, I’d say. “Already I’ve heard of the smaller shops buying the bags of Roosters from supermarkets because they are hard to get wholesale.”
In Co Louth, Maria Flynn grows a range of heirloom and more popular varieties, including Rooster, Kerrs Pink and Red Emmalie. “There is just no sign of the east winds that we normally have in March. They dry the ground faster. The temperatures are increasing, but the rain just keeps falling,” she said.
“There will be late planting again which means later harvesting and that brings bad weather at the tail end. We still have ten acres of potatoes from last year that we couldn’t get out of the ground because it is that wet. It will be touch and go for a lot of farmers in the coming weeks, especially if this rain doesn’t stop.”
“I’ve 700 acres here but everything is just bogged. There is no chance of planting at the moment. We need a good week of dry weather before we even think about planting.”