Reassurance over prices for potatoes

Potato Council chiefs have dismissed suggestions that this year's potato prices would flounder after reports last week of sales in England of crops as low as £40 per tonne.

Rob Clayton said that price related to only a small percentage of the crop sold on the "free" non-contract market and was well short of the weekly average of 141 per tonne. He believed the low price sales were made by a few large growers clearing some ground before getting into their cereal harvest and it did not reflect the real trade.

Current potato prices in England have been affected by the weather, with crops coming to maturity two to three weeks ahead of normal and this was pressuring the market, he believed. "I am sure the market will steady in the next couple of weeks once we get into maincrop supplies."

The weather is also affecting Scottish growers with Potato Council chairman and East Lothian farmer Allan Stevenson saying lifting was at a standstill.

His potatoes go on contract to supermarket giant Tesco, and yields have been about average and tuber quality has been good.