In Ireland, potato farmers are grappling with important crop losses because of waterlogged fields, as reported by Joe Mag Raollaigh for RTÉ.ie on Friday.
The unpredictable climate and higher-than-normal rainfall have made 2023 a difficult yr for the agricultural sector, significantly affecting potato growers. Sean Ryan, a potato grower from Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, and the IFA’s National Potato Chairman, highlights the struggles confronted this yr. The planting was delayed by 5 to 6 weeks, and steady rain all through the summer time additional exacerbated the scenario.
In a discipline go to, Ryan demonstrated how the potatoes, soaked in water for prolonged durations, have rotted and are unfit for human consumption and even animal feed. Approximately 50% of this yr’s potato crop stays unharvested, with equipment slowed down or clogged as a result of discipline situations.
Shay Phelan, a potato crop specialist with Teagasc in Oakpark, Co Carlow, remarked on the unprecedented quantity of crop nonetheless within the floor, saying “I am 20 years at this and it’s the first time I’ve seen this volume of crop still in the ground. …What we are saying to guys at this moment is to try and salvage what you can salvage.”
The IFA warns that growers can not soak up the monetary impression if losses worsen. Ryan predicts a possible potato scarcity within the new yr, as little or no has been saved in comparison with earlier years, leaving the scenario “very, very tight.”
Source: RTÉ. Read the complete story and watch a video
Photo: Some potatoes aren’t even useable for animal feed. Credit RTÉ
