The mood among Irish potato farmers is at an all time low, according to the president of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), Tim Cullinan.
The comments come as the association confirmed that it will host a national meeting next week for potato growers.
The event will take place in the Radisson Blu Hotel Dublin Airport on Wednesday, March 15, at 7:00p.m.
Potato farmers
IFA president Tim Cullinan warned that the country is facing an exodus similar to the vegetable sector unless action is not taken urgently.
“Commercial potato farming is simply not viable this year with land rental, fertiliser, fuel and storage costs.
“Many potato farmers will be forced out of business unless the packers and retailers are willing to increase returns to their farmer suppliers,” he said.
The chair of the IFA National Potato Committee, Sean Ryan said that the upcoming potato season is “hanging in the balance because of a broken food chain”.
“IFA has pointed this out for the past 18 months, but we are at breaking point. Growers simply cannot afford to put crops in the ground this year if changes are not made.
“Shipments of potatoes have been exported to Portugal, with good demand for more Irish potatoes reported.
“It is a sad state of affairs when growers are forced to export potatoes because the cost of storage is unviable.”
Ryan said that growers are “weighing up their options” ahead of planting this year as “the numbers are simply not stacking up for them”.
“The pricing model is broken. Growers must be paid for the huge energy cost of storing potatoes from the time of harvest to ensure a continuous supply throughout the year.
“Potato farmers need the market to return a fair price that makes their farms viable”, the IFA Potato chair concluded.