Less potatoes were planted in Ireland this year due to spiraling input costs for growers, according to the chair of the Irish Farmers’ Association’s Potato Committee, Sean Ryan.
As Megan O’Brian reports, Agriland editor Stella Meehan sat down with chair of the Irish Farmers’ Association’s Potato Committee, Sean Ryan in studio. Ryan stated that potato farmers are grappling with substantial rises in input costs and are feeling the pinch in electricity and fuel prices in particular.
Although farmers experienced a good year in terms of weather conditions for planting, less potatoes went into the ground, according to Ryan. He said:
“In general it was a great year of planting, we got great conditions the same as all the other crops and commodities. But there seems to have been less planted because of the input costs.”
“One example is a farmer in Wexford, his costs for the [storage] cold room three years ago was €1,800 for two months, this year it was €9,120.
Source: Agriland. Read the full story here
Video: Watch interview with Sean Ryan here
Photo: Courtesy and credit Agriland
