Following a well-attended National Potato producers’ gathering in Dublin, IFA President Tim Cullinan recently stated that Irish potato producers require an urgent price rise to counter increasing input costs.

Cullinan additionally said that the present selling price to producers does not cover the entire cost of potato production and storage.

“All in the chain have to work to deliver a price increase, but there is a clear responsibility on the retailers, in particular, to return a sustainable margin to growers,” the IFA President mentioned.

According to the IFA President, farmers are questioning the viability of continuing to serve the retail sector in the absence of a price rise.

“The anger and frustration from the floor last night is a direct result of retailer dominance in the marketplace. This dominant position has been one of the main causes of the continuing contraction of our horticulture sector. The average rate of food inflation rose by 16.3% last year. However, the retail price of potatoes only increased by 1.4%. The new Food Regulator must be established without further delay,” he explained.

Irish potato producers are currently exporting spuds to Portugal and Holland because they cannot afford to continue storing their harvests at a deficit.

According to Sean Ryan, IFA National Potato Chairman, many potato farmers will be pushed out of business unless shippers and merchants are prepared to raise returns to their farming vendors. With increased site leasing, fertilizer, fuel, and storage expenses, commercial potato cultivation is simply not feasible this year.