While some Scottish growers have been able to lift their early crops ahead of schedule, others have lost large areas of their crops to flooding and waterlogged soil. Overall, the picture seems to suggest a lower than normal potato yield in 2012, although there is time for this picture to change, especially with second crop and later varieties.
This lower yield might itself mask a problem of oversupply, though, according to the Potato Council chairman Allan Stevenson. This oversupply obviously affects prices and profitability but that's not a problem this year:
"There is a structural oversupply in the UK industry - simply too many growers growing too many potatoes, leading to low prices and us all losing money," he said.
"We can't keep doing that. No one can make a living, and no one can invest. But this year it's looking like there won't be that oversupply, which is fantastic news."
For the industry as a whole that's probably true, although you might feel differently if you're one of those who lost a large part of your crop this year. I'll be interested to know how you've coped with the difficult conditions this spring and whether you've been able to recover from an early-season disaster. Please add your comments below.
Meanwhile, a reminder that Novanna Measurement Systems supplies testing and measurement equipment for all kinds of agriculture.
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