IFA CHAIRMAN SAYS SCARCITY OF SUPPLY REFECTED IN CURRENT POTATO PRICES.
SHORTAGES are driving up potato prices in Ireland, which are likely to lead to increased costs for consumers according to a report in Ireland’s public service media.
The price of potatoes in supermarkets has already seen a 17.3% increase compared to the previous year, and further rises are expected as a result of adverse weather conditions affecting last year’s harvest and this year’s planting season.
Data from the Central Statistics Office Ireland (CSO) indicates that in March, growers received a 74% increase in payment for potatoes compared to the same period last year.
National Potato Chairman with the IFA Sean Ryan said scarcity of supply is reflected in the prices quoted which have come off the back of unsustainable prices for the last 10 years.
He said the prices are needed to maintain a viable potato industry. Despite the high prices for potatoes, Ryan said most growers are not benefiting from the price increases owing to the majority of potatoes being sold directly from fields at harvest, when prices were lower.
