The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) estimates that 5% of the potato crop across the country remains in the ground. That said some farmers have a lot more acres remaining than others, depending on the weather they were greeted with in the past few months.
At the beginning of December, 15-20% of the potato crop remained in the ground as the harvest was put at a standstill due to persistent rain. A dry few days in the meantime, towards the end of December and early January, allowed some digging to take place.
Potato Prices
Prices remain unchanged from before the Christmas period. The average price for a box of Roosters is €350 – ranging from €330 to €380. A 10kg bag of Roosters is costing an average price of €4. Boxes of Whites are averaging €350, but prices are ranging from €320 to €370. Bags of Kerr’s Pinks vary in price from €5 for a 10kg bag to €5.50, averaging €5.20.
Demand
The IFA reported strong demand over Christmas, as expected. Some reports indicate an increase in sales on 2018 for the Christmas period. Another positive to note is the anticipated post-Christmas lull has not come to fruition yet and demand remains stable.
Source: agriland.ie