Gran Bretaña: Farming feature: UK potato growers ’very worried’ as homegrown crop shortage looms

Experts fear a 12-week gap could open up in the UK supply in 2020 as a result of the loss of the main chemical used on stored spuds.

But Suffolk farmers could play a critical role in helping to solve the problem, as an advice group for growers tries to work out potential solutions which can be used on-farm.

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Farm levy payers’ organisation, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), has chosen James Foskett Farms Ltd at Bromeswell, near Woodbridge, to be its next Strategic Potato (SPot) Farm East host, starting from September 1, 2019. It takes over where the Elveden Estate - the previous host - leaves off in looking at how to help potato growers through the problems they face, and finding ways to produce the crop sustainably - and profitably.

One of the biggest problems facing potato farmers as they go into next year is the loss of a sprout suppressant called CIPC following a European Union-wide decision, which will have a knock-on effect on how long the crop can be stored.

Alternatives tried out so far are problematic, but the farm, which is owned by James Foskett and run by farm manager Mike Shapland, will be a test-bed.

Around 70 growers from across the region were at James Foskett Farms on July 18 as it gears up to become the next SPot Farm East.

AHDB knowledge exchange manager David Wilson said it had been a "fantastic day". The three big challenges for growers at the moment were the storage problem, the loss of active ingredients which can be used to protect crops, and staff retention and casual labour, he said.

"If you are a processing grower that stores a lot of potatoes the storage is the biggest concern," he said. "For the industry there could be a 12 week gap in the season where there’ll be no UK potatoes to meet that demand."

James Foskett and his farm manager Mike Shapland  Picture: SARAH CHAMBERS

James Foskett and his farm manager Mike Shapland Picture: SARAH CHAMBERS

Options immediately dropped down to ’second best’, with limits on where and how they could be used, he explained. "This is our last season with the product, but the 2020 harvest and storage season we could be facing a challenge."

Growers were "very worried", he admitted. "Part of the reason we had such a good turnout is it’s extremely business critical."

There were new products approved in the Netherlands which they were hoping might provide a suitable substitute, he added.

Speaker Adrian Briddon, AHDB’s crop storage senior scientist with AHDB’s Sutton Bridge team, which conducts research in potato storage, said the loss of CIPC posed "a huge challenge" to the potato industry.