Northern Ireland’s early-season potato crops have grown almost continuously since planting, according to a recent Farm Link info.

Hugh Chambers, a specialist potato and cereal grower, farming right down to the shoreline at the north end of Strangford Lough in Co Down, recently said that this is a pretty unusual scenario for growers, given the “vagaries” of the weather in his area.

“[…] More importantly, from a consumer point of view, it means that the eating quality of this year’s ‘first earlies’ will be excellent,” Chambers added.

He started lifting the first of this year’s early crops earlier in the week. Dunluce is the first early variety most commonly grown in Northern Ireland. Wilson’s Country agronomist Stuart Meredith joined Chambers, just as the harvesting work got underway.

“The recent warm weather, which was preceded by heavy rain, has encouraged tremendous growth within all potato crops. As a result, growers are digging earlies this year at around the same time as would have been the case in 2021,” Meredith explained.

According to Hugh, crops are yielding an average of 10t/ha. He also grows Home Guard potatoes, which will be available later in the season.

The North Down man grows early and main crop potatoes as part of the overall arable rotation followed on the farm.

Potato consumption in Northern Ireland has continued to hold up on the back-of-the-home cooking experiences enjoyed by so by many thousands of people across Northern Ireland during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

The recent spell of decent weather may well give a further boost to the traditional demand for early ‘spuds’ over the coming weeks. They are the perfect accompaniment to a summer salad or barbecue.

These are heady times for the Irish potato industry. Dublin recently hosted the World Potato Congress (WPC), the first time this important event was ever held on the island.

Traditionally, the get-together has been used to promote the benefits of the potato to a global audience.
However, it received added impetus this year given the attendance of numerous farming, food industry, and political leaders from around the world.

The event culminated with the unanimous endorsement by all attending delegates of the ‘Dublin Declaration’. This seeks the United Nations to endorse the principle of an ‘Annual World Potato Day’.