Today, Friday, October 4, is Bord Bia’s ‘National Potato Day’, and retailers and consumers are being called on to support Irish potato growers by the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA).
Joe Healy, the association’s president, said that the Irish potato industry is an “important indigenous sector”, worth around €80 million at the farmgate, with 500 growers planting over 8,000ha annually.
He urged retailers to recognise the “high-quality, nutritious produce that Irish growers bring to the market”.
“This year’s acreage was the second lowest on record. Therefore, supply may not be sufficient to meet demand. Growers must be encouraged to continue producing high-quality crops at a fair price that sustains ongoing production,” the IFA president said.
Meanwhile, IFA potato chairperson Thomas McKeown asked consumers to choose Irish potatoes over imported produce when they’re doing the shopping.
“In addition to making a healthy food choice, they would also be supporting vital jobs in the rural economy,” he highlighted.
The theme for this year’s National Potato Day is ‘Like, Share, Cook Spuds: Bringing the Potato from on-the-boil to on-line’.
This theme is based on research last year which apparently indicates that younger people, between the ages of 18 and 23, do not believe that potatoes are as suitable as other foods to be photographed and shared on social media.
The initiative calls on consumers, particularly this age group, to “appreciate the role potatoes have worldwide in providing employment, nourishment and food security”.
A number of events will be held around the country to mark the day, including farm visits and activities such as cookery competitions in various locations – including University College Dublin (UCD), Dublin City University (DCU), National University of Galway Ireland (NUIG) and University College Cork (UCC) – which are organised by IFA members.
For more information on these events, click here.