Bord Bia National Potato Day celebrates ‘Ireland’s number one veg’

Potatoes are Ireland’s “most preferred and number one vegetable”, Bord Bia’s potato and fresh produce manager, Lorcan Bourke has said celebrating National Potato Day today (Friday, October 6).

This year’s National Potato Day campaign seeks to help home cooks to appreciate how potatoes fit in with modern convenient cooking equipment such as air fryers and slow cookers.

“With cost-of-living pressures facing many households, potatoes remain one of the best value-for-money ingredients which also pack a nutritional punch. 

“Potatoes are naturally fat and gluten-free and are a good source of dietary fibre, vitamins and important minerals like potassium,” Bourke said.

National Potato Day

Bord Bia is working with the “king and queen of air-fryer recipes in Ireland” Karol and Gina Daly this year to get the nation excited about trying new air-fryer recipes using potatoes.

Gina and Karol engaged in a battle to find the ultimate air-fryer potato recipe and took to the streets to talk to Irish people about their love of potatoes.

The video series showing that potatoes remain the nation’s favourite vegetable will be released on Bord Bia’s social media channels today, as well as some new potato recipes.

Consumers, packers and retailers have been urged to support Irish growers this National Potato Day by the national potato chair of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), Sean Ryan.

The Irish potato industry is a critical indigenous sector worth over €105 million at the farm gate with over 8,000ha planted annually, providing consumers with quality, nutritious potatoes all year, he said.

“Irish growers are resilient but unfortunately, the number of growers has been in decline for a number of years. Land availability and soaring input costs remain key challenges.

“The past year has been challenging for growers from spiralling input costs and it is shaping up to be one of the most difficult harvest seasons in recent memory,” Ryan said.

Home consumption and retail sales are “buoyant” this season as consumer realise potatoes are “excellent” value for money as a staple, the IFA national potato chair added.

Potato market update

Meanwhile, home consumption and retail demand for potatoes remains steady, according to the latest potato market update from the IFA.

“Harvest conditions are very difficult at present and it is shaping up to be one of the most difficult harvests in recent times unless conditions change quickly. 

“Waterlogging, bacterial soft rots and deep tramlines are evident in many fields while there seems to be an above normal amount of cracking in crops,” the IFA said.

In Europe fresh market prices are more stable this week, with export demand from Spain and Italy. Buyers, however, are waiting for prices to settle and more supplies to be offered.

Recent test digs show that growth rates have started to slow down and that gross yields are around or slightly below average, according to the market update.

“Buyers in the Canaries are reported to be desperate for fresh stock. Exporters are cautious as they wait to see how regulations on labelling and soil adhesion will be interpreted.

“In the UK harvest is reported to be at least two weeks behind schedule,” according to the IFA’s latest potato market update for Wednesday, October 4.