Menu

Potato harvest progress gathers pace after heavy rain

Oliver Hill 29 September 2015
>More in

Potato growers are making steady progress across the country as brighter weather aids a sluggish harvest.

Unsettled conditions restricted lifting in most regions and heavy rain, particularly in the South East, put a stop to activities over the last two weeks.

Grower David Park is about halfway through his potato harvest near Warkworth, Northumberland.

He is growing ware and contract seed potatoes, winter wheat and oilseed rape with his parents and brother on the 526ha family farm.

However, potato cropping area was reduced a little this year due to low prices, growing ware varieties Estima, Saxon and Nectar and mostly Maris Peer for the seed contract.

See also: Harvest 2015: Wheat 97% done and 80% of spring barley cut

Mr Park told Farmers Weekly: “The weather windows for harvest have been small this year – it’s been going slowly. The sun is out so we’re cracking on and we’re about halfway through now with the seed potatoes nearly finished. Some of the ware potatoes might be a bit longer because the skins haven’t quite set yet.

“We cut back on area slightly this year due to price pressures. We reduced it by not growing on marginal land, having been encouraged to do so by AHDB.”

Drone photo of potato harvest

The potato harvest is about 50% complete at the Park family’s farm in Northumberland.

He adds that quality is good so far, but yields are expected to be slightly below the farm’s average yield of about 42t/ha.

“Soils are wet in places on the heavier land but quality is looking good so far with no signs of mould. I think the yield will probably be down a bit from our average due to the cold spring and late planting,” he said.

Meanwhile at Farndon Fields Farm on the outskirts of Market Harborough, Leicestershire, potato lifting progress is nearing the halfway point.

Cropping on the Stokes family farm consists of wheat and oats alongside vegetables and soft fruit to sell in the farm shop.

Former winners of Farmers Weekly’s Local Food Farmer of the Year award, the family mostly grow Shannon and Wilja potatoes and have harvested about 8ha so far.

Nic Stokes said: “Quality is looking good this year with nice big potatoes and they’re coming up clean. Yields are averaging between 48-50t/ha so far which is lower than the farm’s average but we are still pretty happy. The soil is perfect at the moment for lifting.”

Growers elsewhere England have also been making to most of the dry weather in recent days…

 

Need a contractor?

Find one now
See more