Arable


Potato growers win harvest battle against wet weather


P


otato growers have overcome a second successive wet harvest to produce decent yields follow-


ing a challenging season. This year’s potato harvest is likely


to reach 5.3m tonnes – up 2.8% on last year but just below the fi ve-year aver- age of 5.4m tonnes, according to esti- mates from the Agriculture and Hor- ticulture Development Board. Growers have fared better than


last year, with just 2% of the planted area yet to be lifted as Midland Farm- er went to press shortly after 10 No- vember. This compares with 11% of the crop still in the ground on 12 Novem- ber 2019.


This production fi gure follows an AHDB estimate that the planted area


this year is the third lowest on record. This overall net yield sits in line with the fi ve-year national average up to and including 2019.


Variable yields AHDB senior analyst Alice Bailey said: “Anecdotal reports suggest that yields have been somewhat variable from farm to farm, even fi eld to fi eld. Yet over- all, crops are within farm expectations so it is not surprising that the national yield is in line with recent years. “We saw planted area drop by 2.3%


this year, yet we are estimating a 2.8% rise in production. This is based on both a slight increase in yields year-on-year and the fact that a large area was left unharvested last year.”


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The 2019 unlifted area was estimat-


ed at 6%, whereas less than 1% was es- timated to be left in the ground in 2018. Ms Bailey said she we would anticipate similar this year. The estimate could be amended in the coming weeks, with some potatoes still to harvest across eastern Eng- land – and some members of the 450 strong AHDB Grower Panel still to re- turn their survey information.


Marketing campaign


A winter promotional campaign over the coming weeks will encourage shop- pers to eat more potatoes. It follows a similar campaign in the summer that reached 5m shoppers via catch-up TV, social media and display advertising.


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