Ireland: Growers Question Viability of a 7,000 ha Maincrop Sector as Diesel Costs Rise
Irish potato growers face higher harvesting costs as the lifting season starts. The farmers association says many now doubt the long-term future of production, while supplies in continental Europe are tight.
Rising diesel prices are adding to harvesting costs for Irish potato growers. Growers are increasingly questioning the long-term viability of production, the Irish Farmers’ Association said in its potato market report of 23 September.
Home consumption and retail sales were stable, according to the report. Production costs were described as a significant concern. Some crops have bulked up well since the drought ended. Secondary growth has been reported in some areas.
A small and shrinking area
The maincrop area in Ireland is about 7,000 hectares in 2026. This is 700 hectares less than in 2025, according to tillage specialist Shay Phelan of the state advisory body Teagasc. First early potatoes cover about 900 hectares, a stable figure.
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In July the specialist warned that the sector is close to a critical point. If the area fell much below 7,000 hectares, the economics of maincrop production would become a worry, he said. He named rising costs and blight strains resistant to several fungicides as the main pressures.
In August the adviser said irrigation had decided yields this season. Irrigated crops yielded well, with excellent tuber quality. Crops without irrigation were declining.
Market signals from Europe
The association report of 23 September also pointed to Europe. Production of ware potatoes in Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands is down about 25%, the smallest crop since 2018, it said. Yields in Belgium are down about 30% and in France about 20%.
In Great Britain, some growers continue to delay haulm destruction to gain more yield, the report said. A week earlier, the association reported that home consumption and retail demand were rising week on week. It also said that packers were actively looking for supply for the coming season.
Why it matters
Ireland depends on a small number of commercial growers for its maincrop supply. Each lost grower reduces the national area in a visible way. High fuel costs at harvest come on top of costly blight control and irrigation.
Tight supplies in continental Europe may support prices for Irish growers this winter. But imports from the continent will also cost more. If domestic output keeps falling, packers and retailers could face less choice and higher costs. The national budget on 6 October is the next point where farm groups hope for support for tillage.
Photo: A tractor and potato harvester at work (illustrative). Graham Robson / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
