The area of potatoes planted in 2019 in Ireland was the second-lowest on record, after 2018, which currently holds the title. There was also a further decrease in the plantings of traditional varieties, such as Kerr’s Pink and Golden Wonders.

Speaking at the recent National Potato Conference in Dublin, Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) President Tim Cullinan said farmers continue to be the disfavored ones within the supply chain. He outlined how retailers are taking the lion’s share of the margin on potatoes, while farmers bear all of the risks, according to avondhupress.ie.

“Growers are coming under increased pressure due to rising input and storage costs and the continued decrease of phytosanitary products available. That situation cannot be sustained; the price the farmer gets has to rise, just to cover storage costs alone. Retailers and packers have to wake up to that and act now if they want to have a potato industry in the future,” he said.

The IFA president said retailers have a dominant position in the food chain. For this reason, the IFA wants the Government to introduce a retail ombudsman, who will have strong independent oversight and regulation of the sector.

“There is a provision in EU legislation on Unfair Trading Practices for an independent retail regulator, but this has to be transposed into Irish law,” he said.

The research presented at this conference showed just how important potatoes are to Irish retailers. According to Kantar World figures, potatoes are bought once every second in Irish stores, and when potatoes are included in the shopping basket, grocery trips are worth EUR26.10 more than the average.