FINAL SAY Clodhopper


Humble spud, humble profi ts


Potato growers deserve our respect – it’s a stressful enterprise and there are easier ways of making money, says Clodhopper


I


have limited knowledge of the potato sec- tor – and even less experience growing them. But being in semi-retirement, I found my knowledge increasing this au- tumn as I helped out with the potato harvest. As I worked, I listened intently to the grow- ers around me discussing the previous 2019 harvest. All agreed it was a season to for- get, with diffi cult lifting conditions and the price then plummeting due to the coronavi- rus lockdown. Before coronavirus, many people were ex- pecting a potato shortage. But the closure of food outlets throughout Europe put an end to that – leaving some growers unable to shift in-store crops other than by roadside sales. That said, very few growers had reduced their acreage. In fact, some had even increased it for this year’s crop. The dry spring of 2020 at fi rst was welcomed. It got the season off to a good start and made planting easier.


Ups and downs But the prolonged lack of rain which followed meant those growers without irrigation soon started to worry. Almost half the crop lacks access to water so when a decent amount of


rainfall fi nally fell in June, it was welcomed by everyone.


As September approached, growers were looking forward to harvest full of hope and expectation. Crops were looking reasonable and a repeat of last year’s challenging sea- son looked increasingly unlikely. But some processors are still working their


way through their contracted supplies with little tonnage purchased on the free buy mar- kets. Growers continue to shift spuds at £80- 140 per tonne, with cheaper potatoes being moved due to storage concerns. Which brings me to something which I fail to understand. And a question to which I can’t fi nd the answer – from any grower. With most farmers selling at least a propor- tion of their tonnage on contract, what is the breakeven price?


Big money crop


The costs quoted to me just for growing the crop from planting through to harvest are eye-watering. In storage, those costs rise fur- ther because some products to reduce in-store growth have been banned and replaced with more expensive alternatives.


One grower who puts everything possi- ble into his fi nal costs down to the last offi ce paperclip said a £200/t price was break even on his 800ha. Another large grower quoted £165/t and a smaller grower with less than 12ha quoted £130/t.


One grower who would only say he was growing a reduced area this year but expect- ed his tonnage to increase was hoping to in- crease his profi t margin by reducing crop loss- es – in other words better management across fewer acres.


But I am still no further forward. Some of the farmers were using their own land to grow potatoes. But most rented. Some were travel- ling 50 miles from their main store. Rents var- ied from £675/ha to £1000/ha. It’s big money.


Anxiety and admiration The only conclusion I came to was that pota- toes involve lots of physical and mental stress. And it is taking its toll. One grower had been rushed to hospital after slumping over his steering wheel. One had heart concerns and the other anxiety.


That stress can only increase during an- other wet autumn with low prices and the temporary closure of the food service indus- try. Social distancing measures will concern customers and reduce demand further. And with changing tastes in food, the hum- ble spud is struggling against the fl avour and variety of more global dishes. You have to ad- mire the growers for their belief in the indus- try and its future.


When things go their way, potato growers make a healthy profi t. But this only seems to happen one year in fi ve. Easier crops make less money but it is the well-being that con- cerns me.


Like us all, I hope they are able to take a well-earned rest over Christmas and have a safe and rewarding New Year.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40