The potato farming industry in Ireland is facing challenges this year as many growers find themselves with only half the seed potatoes they require for their maincrop planting. This scarcity of seed potatoes is expected to have significant repercussions on the acreage of maincrop spuds planted and is likely to affect yields, worsening the existing concerns within the sector.
Niamh Brennan, the potato policy executive at IFA, highlighted the severity of the situation, stating that numerous growers have received only about 50% of the seed they had requested from suppliers. To compensate for this shortfall, farmers are turning to home-saved seed, a practice that could potentially lead to reduced quality and marketable yield, exacerbating the challenges faced by growers this year.
The disruption caused by Brexit has further complicated matters, especially for Ireland, which traditionally relied on Scotland for the majority of its seed potato supply for the 21,000 acres of maincrop planted annually. The uncertainty surrounding seed availability not only poses a concern for the upcoming season but also raises alarms for the 2025 planting cycle, as emphasized by Brennan.
This dilemma is not unique to Ireland, as tight seed supplies have become a common issue across Europe due to increased production costs impacting the entire potato industry. Ollie Whyte, a potato grower based in Dublin, shared his firsthand experience of the seed shortage, revealing that he currently has only 70% of the required seed with a promise of an additional 20%, which may not be sufficient to meet demand.
The situation has forced growers like Whyte to consider using their own ware potatoes to fill the void left by the inadequate seed supply. This adjustment, however, adds to the complexities faced by farmers already struggling with the delayed planting schedule. Typically, most maincrop planting would have been completed by mid-April, but the disruptions have hindered the planting progress for many, further intensifying the challenges in the potato farming sector this year.
