Harvest progress and weather delays
Northern Ireland’s maincrop potato harvest is now 80% complete. However, recent heavy rainfall has slowed progress.
Wilson’s Country agronomist, Stuart Meredith, further explained: “The progress made with this year’s harvest up to now is on a par with that achieved in 2024. The recent heavy rains have held up harvesting in all areas but up until now it has been non-stop harvesting for us.”
“As we move into November there is an increased risk of frosts, so the sooner we get the remaining 20% lifted the better, as the quality of the product in the ground can deteriorate quite quickly,” Meredith said.
Quality watch – higher dry matter, bruising, and taste trade-offs
There are a number of quality-related issues relating to the 2025 maincrop harvest.
“Bruising is one of these that will have an impact on packing yields,” the agronomist confirmed. “And, again, this is very much a weather-related issue, directly associated with the lack of moisture that we had over the summer months. As potato crops come under moisture stress, the dry matter content within the tubers below the ground rises rapidly, as was the case this year in some areas.
“Unfortunately, this leads to black bruises under the skin of the potatoes during the harvesting process. However, with the higher dry matter comes a flourier, better tasting potato for the consumer.”
Regional yields and market outlook – lighter soils underperformed; prices hinge on remaining lift
Where 2025 potato yields are concerned, it’s very much a north–south split.
“All potato crops came under significant moisture stress as they were bulking up. This was a direct consequence of the dry summer weather,” Meredith noted. “However, crops grown in lighter soils, such as those prevalent in South Co Down, were more badly affected than was the case in places like Northern Antrim, where the heavier clay soils are more moisture-retentive.”
Across the board, the Wilson’s Country agronomist is projecting an average potato yield of 18 t/ac off the field.
“And that’s pretty representative of what we would be expecting in a normal year. Our own potato acreage is up slightly this year,” he commented. “This reflects our growing commitment to salad potatoes, including the varieties Venezia and Empress. These salad varieties were planted out later than maincrop varieties but harvested at an earlier date.”
Meredith concluded: “Prices are very much supply : demand driven. With around 20% of the potatoes in Northern Ireland and around 40% of Rooster in the Republic of Ireland still to be harvested, it’s still too early to predict what the market will do.”
Author: Richard Halleron
Image: Credit Richard Halleron