Potato farmers in Bathinda, Punjab, are disgruntled at what they say is exploitation at the hands of cold store owners and private dealers; they claim that they are being denied space in cold storage facilities by the owners,
Jersey’s Environment Minister Steve Luce, says that farmers must change the way they grow Jersey Royal potatoes, in order to protect the Island’s reputation as a world-class food producer.
In 2014 and 2015, growers in many parts of the region started to notice black leg symptoms popping up in fields. However, careful inspection of plants suggested that this was not your typical black leg.
Farmers are turning to mechanisation to meet the rising demand for potatoes by improving cultivation and reducing harvest losses, which can amount to up to 50 per cent of the crop.
Since the start of 2016, the average weekly potato prices have been rising by about £20/tonne. The rising prices are causing farmers to keep hold of potato supplies, further tightening the market.
As inflation in South Africa has risen to 7 percent, consumers are feeling the pinch, having noticed a sharp increase in the price of basic food staples.
Heavy hailstorms in Akkar since Sunday afternoon have inflicted severe damage on a number of agricultural products, especially potatoes, which have recorded considerable losses.
The first greenhouse potatoes have reached the Greek market with very good prices. The acreage this year has been estimated at 1,200 acres, with crops mainly in the Peloponnese, which is approximately 500 acres below last year.
