In the UK, a leading potato supplier, Albert Bartlett, is exploring alternatives to the beloved Maris Piper potato, facing agronomic challenges due to climate extremes. With the agriculture sector hit by floods, droughts, and rising costs for energy and fertiliser, varieties like Maris Piper, King Edwards, and Maris Peer are under scrutiny for their financial viability and environmental demands. Paddy Graham-Jones, the company's group procurement director, highlighted the need for varieties that balance customer satisfaction with grower feasibility, emphasizing the agronomic difficulties and financial risks associated with these traditional favorites.
Introduced in 1966, Maris Pipers now require significant water resources for cleaning, contributing to their unsustainability. The Albert Bartlett agronomy team is thus tasked with developing an alternative that ensures taste while being more adaptable to current climatic conditions and less resource-intensive. This initiative comes as potato prices surge, with a notable increase in the cost of Maris Piper bags at major retailers, reflecting broader market trends influenced by recent weather-related disruptions in potato supply.
Tim Rooke, NFU potato policy group chairman, attributed the price hikes to a drought in 2022, which compromised yields and prompted early sales by farmers. The subsequent wet spring of 2023 further delayed planting, exacerbating the situation.
Source: liverpoolecho.co.uk
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