Potato Review

www.potatoreview.com POTATO REVIEW JULY/AUGUST 2022 9 NEWS IN-FIELD Strategic Partner WASHERS & DESTONERS POLISHERS TURNKEY SOLUTIONS INNOVATION COMBINED BOX TIPPLERS IN-TAKE OPTICAL SORTERS GRADERS From single machines to complete turnkey solutions the potato industry trust Haith to handle it. +44 (0) 1302 831911 sales@haith.co.uk www.haith.co.uk Haith-Potato Review-Half Page-QA Advert ART.indd 1 22/06/2022 09:06 Support measures welcomed MEASURES to support Irish growers in the aftermath of Brexit are being hailed as a step in the right direction. Prior to Brexit, Ireland had been importing approximately 6,000t of seed potatoes from the UK each year, with 60% of the certified seed that is planted in Ireland coming from Scotland. The area of seed potato crops for certification in Ireland increased to 299 hectares in 2021. This figure will need to double for domestic demand. But the announcement of a €3m scheme for the country’s seed potato sector will be a big boost to supporting the industry, according to The Irish Farmers Association (IFA). IFA National Potato Chairman Sean Ryan has said he is looking forward to working with government officials to put in place measures that will support the sector against Brexit and other challenges it is currently experiencing. The scheme sets out to accelerate development of capacity within the sector and aid improvements in the production, storage and marketing infrastructure of seed potatoes by providing grant assistance to producers towards the capital cost of specialised equipment and facilities. The scheme will be funded from Ireland’s allocation from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve Fund (BAR). Covid Compassion Scheme introduced for NRoSO members THE National Register of Sprayer Operators (NRoSO) has introduced a Covid Compassion Scheme to aid members who fell into difficulties since the outbreak of the coronavirus. The Voluntary Initiative (VI) and City & Guilds have issued a joint announcement saying they are aware that during 2020 and 2021, several COVID-19 related circumstances led to difficulties for members of the National Register of Sprayer Operators (NRoSO1) obtaining continuing professional development (CPD) points. Any NRoSO members who have had their membership cancelled since January 1st, 2022 and feel they qualify for re-instatement are urged to contact City & Guilds at nrososupport@cityandguilds.com. ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEMES WON’T REPLACE BPS INCOME, WARNS CAAV MORE than half of Basic Payment (BPS) money is set to be diverted to less than 5% of English farmland for environmental recovery, so growers are being warned not to rely on these schemes to fill the income gap. Jeremy Moody, Secretary and Adviser to the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV), said: “The new schemes will be an option, not salvation.”