Potato Review

www.potatoreview.com POTATO REVIEW SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022 5 NEWS S UPERMARKETS were being urged to relax product speci cations to allow undersized potatoes onto store shelves, amid rising concerns the UK drought poses a threat to food production. e Met O ce recently issued an amber weather warning for extreme heat as temperatures were forecast to hit 31C mark. Harvests of potatoes were expected to shrink this year as the drought took its toll on UK farmland. Overall yields and the average size of each tuber is expected to be lower than usual. Deputy President of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), Tom Bradshaw, said incidents of irrigation reservoirs running empty had increased, as growers had been irrigating since June. Head of Business Research at the agricultural consultancy e Andersons Centre, Richard King, also pointed out that crops that had not been irrigated by farmers were likely to have struggled in the summer drought because so little rain had fallen. Both warned that this could impact supply. Tom warned there would be “really severe impacts”, including smaller vegetables being harvested, and the East Yorkshire-based British Potato Trade Association (BPTA) stated that the heatwave had compromised the “yield and quality” of crops. Coming on top of a surge in the cost of fertiliser and fuel for farmers, there are mounting fears this could further in ate prices for consumers. e Independent recently reported that the price of chips is likely to rise following the recent heatwave, which had ravaged crops. Yield and quality of potato crops have been compromised by the combination of record temperatures and a prolonged dry spell. Shoppers were being warned that a potato shortage loomed. In Lincolnshire, UK Government o cials declared a drought, with the South Holland district enduring one of the driest Julys on local record, with just 8.9mm of rain falling, according to a report in local media outlet, Spalding Today. One potato grower who farms in the Spalding and Crowland area, Andrew Branton recently told Spalding Today that he was having to irrigate his potato crop 24 hours a day but is seeing lower yields and smaller tubers, which he fears will be more expensive for customers. “ e advice I would give to people is open your eyes, look at what is going on around you. If you have a garden and the lawn is su ering imagine what crops like potatoes, which need a huge amount of water, are like. Don’t believe the stu the supermarkets are telling you - that there is an abundance of cheap food. at is over.” Andrew had been pumping water 24 hours a day to irrigate his crops. Jo Musson, the National Farmers’ Union Holland county representative, urged county shoppers to buy British produce - even if it is wonkier and smaller - and echoed the appeal to supermarkets to relax their speci cations for what vegetables they will take. Appeals to supermarkets and consumers as amber alert issued. Heat takes its toll Irrigation needs were much greater during the prolonged dry spell this year. Photo courtesy of Syngenta.