In order to be less dependent on Scottish seed potatoes, the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) is asking the Irish government to give a boost to the development of its own seed potato cultivation. Irish potato growers depend on imports from Scotland for 60% of their seed needs. Due to Brexit, however, it is hardly possible to supply seed potatoes from the United Kingdom. The Scottish seed potatoes mainly concern starting material for specific British potato varieties.
According to IFA, the Irish government could use the Brexit Adjustment Reserve to upgrade its own seed potato sector. This European fund is intended to support companies and sectors that are financially disadvantaged by the restrictions caused by Brexit.
Consultation with agriculture minister
The Irish agricultural trade journal Irish Farmers Journal reports that the IFA already held consultations on the issue with Irish agriculture minister Charlie McConalogue last week. The interest group comes up with various suggestions for the government to stimulate the cultivation of potato seed potatoes.
In the 1990s, about 2,000 hectares of seed potatoes were still being grown in Ireland. This was largely also for sales abroad. Over the years, this area has shrunk to just 280 hectares in 2021. IFA has calculated that approximately 560 hectares of seed potatoes are needed to grow ware potatoes in Ireland. The west and northwest of the country in particular seem suitable for the cultivation of seed potatoes.
The sale of seed potatoes from the EU to the United Kingdom is only possible if British consumption growers arrange their own imports. The Dutch seed potato sector is striving for a solution to make large-scale trade possible again. Formally, from the summer of 2021 it will no longer be possible to export seed potatoes between the United Kingdom and the European Union. That is because the European Commission and the British government have not reached an agreement on this after Brexit.
Recently, however, direct import of Dutch seed potatoes has been possible again on a limited scale. This only concerns trade ‘without marketing’, which means that individual British consumption growers must arrange their own imports without brokering. A further condition is that only varieties may be imported that are not available in the United Kingdom (UK) itself.
Undesirable situation
This is an undesirable situation for the Dutch seed potato sector, explains Klaas Johan Osinga, international lobbyist on behalf of LTO Nederland. “The restrictions make it difficult to sell large volumes to the UK. This is also apparent from this year’s export figures so far.’ Last year, the Netherlands exported more than 15,000 tons of seed potatoes to the United Kingdom. For this export season (harvest 2021), the counter stood at 636 tons on December 31, and even that amount is doubted by the seed potato sector.
The Dutch seed potato sector, under the impulse of the Dutch Potato Organization (NAO), LTO, NVWA and inspection service NAK, is now investigating the possibility of a derogation based on equivalence. The aim of this is that conventional seed potato trade between the Netherlands and the UK should be possible again if both countries make clear mutual agreements about this.
Derogation technically feasible
According to Osinga, the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority and NAK have now determined that such a derogation must be technically feasible for England and Wales. However, it remains to be seen whether there is also sufficient political support for this. The seed potato sector asks the Dutch government to submit an application for the derogation to the European Commission and to forward it to the British government.
‘In the UK, England, Wales and Scotland each have their own requirements for seed potato imports. England and Wales will agree to the proposal for a derogation. We expect the Scots to be willing to export their seed potatoes to the EU in return. That has to be in accordance with European rules and that is sensitive in London, because that was precisely the reason for the Brexit’, Osinga knows.
Long-term procedure threatens
In addition to the Netherlands, Denmark has also submitted a similar proposal for the export of seed potatoes to the European Commission, and France also appears to be considering this, Osinga reports. For the time being, the countries are not working together. ‘This threatens to become a lengthy procedure and for the time being that is quite disadvantageous for the Dutch seed potato sector. In any case, we are asking politicians to speed up the proposal for derogation.’
