Potato growers working hard to restore EU market

The Scottish seed potato industry has harnessed willing buyers in Europe to support their efforts to get the European Commission to re-think its current ban on the importation of UK seed stocks – yet the chances of success remain 50/50.

Speaking at yesterday’s SAC Association of Potato Producers (SACAPP) on-line conference, Patrick Hughes, head of potato export development with the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB) said that the issue was on the agenda to be discussed at a high level meeting in Brussels this week – although no decision was likely to be given until next month.

“Part of the fall-out from Brexit, Europe has effectively banned the importation of UK seed potatoes and while negotiations are underway to get recognition for high health status Scottish seed, Defra could only lodge an application to begin discussions on the issue after the transition period ended on January 1.”

He said that while most orders for Europe had been hurried through by producers before the end of December, with seed growers likely to start sowing their crops for next season within the coming weeks, it was clear that time was running out for progress to be made.

Pushed on the issue, he said that while repeat customers, keen to continue to access Scottish seed, had been helping the campaign, the chances of success currently hung in the balance – and could be placed at 50/50.

Hughes said that while ware potatoes had been granted third country equivalence to allow the continuation of exports to the EU, seed potatoes were considered in a higher risk category - as they would be used for further multiplication on mainland Europe and Northern Ireland – and as such the UK’s refusal to accept dynamic alignment with Europe had resulted in the effective ban.

But, with the UK continuing to allow the importation of seed from Europe for the first six months of this year, seed producers were increasingly keen to see a reciprocal ban placed on European imports.

And while this could expand the demand for Scottish seed further in the home market, Dr Phil Burgess, head of Scottishpotatoes.org, warned that seed growers would need to be light of foot to swap varieties – as those suited to the European market would not find favour with ware growers in the UK.

Cedric Porter, editor of ‘World Potato Markets’, provided some good news for the conference, revealing that the Covid epidemic had reignited the country’s love of potatoes – with overall demand and consumption over the past year of lockdown rising.

He said that even with a 30% decline in sales to the food service sector, a 10% increase in retail sales for domestic consumption had more than outweighed this figure:

“This rekindling of the love of potatoes could be something for the sector to capitalise on at the moment to secure a permanent boost in sales.”

And he added that the importance of promotion was something for producers to consider when voting on future of the AHDB’s potato sector.