Potato Price Tracker

[JLLM]

Sorry, yes that was a little harsh, but spud growers need to stand their ground. Way too many posts on here start with"what's the price". Why don't we collectively start saying this is the price we need not to just stay in business by living off past investments or worse diversified income. This is what we need to enable my potato crop to reward investment and risk. John F Kennedy campaigning for Office in 1960 identified the problem. "The farmer, is the only man in our economy who has to buy everything he buys at retail - sell everything he sells at wholesale - and pay the freight both ways." So "Ouch" it is not just the West Midlands, we are all guilty.

Too many growers happy to grow extra "just in case".

 

[legin]

Problem around us is that a handful of growers need to be bagging 100-150 ton a day. they will accept a £10 less just to movement sometimes. We're doing mostly McCain contracts now.

 

[Trying my best]

I think I've got enough moisture now even if it never rains again this season.

 

[Devil's advocate]

I think I've got enough moisture now even if it never rains again this season.

You will need a bit, to stop the ridges cracking like 2007.

Not really bad here yet, rubbish but not like 2007 & 2012 or the more recent one 2019?

 

[jon9000]

What's the gate price of a 25kg sack at the mo

 

[Devil's advocate]

What's the gate price of a 25kg sack at the mo

If I was selling would go £15

 

[Trying my best]

Not many pubs you could get 3 pints for £15 nowadays!

 

[Devil's advocate]

Not many pubs you could get 3 pints for £15 nowadays!

Are you not happy with £15?

Maybe try another business.

 

[Trying my best]

Are you not happy with £15?

Maybe try another business.

I wasn't saying I wouldn't be happy with £15 a bag.
Was saying that they are good value compared to the price of other things now.

 

[serf]

So is this the conclusion , they are £15 a bag from farm gate

 

[Trying my best]

So is this the conclusion , they are £15 a bag from farm gate

Or £1 a bag cheaper than your neighbour that's also selling potatoes at the gate

 

[Sonoftheheir]

Anyone seen any blight? Bad conditions for it!

 

[Bigjon44]

Touchwood ,no not yet although conditions are very favourable!!

 

[rm1]

Alternaria just starting to take off if this weather continues may see canopy go off quickly

 

[ridger]

Plenty of blight and not much spraying weather

 

[Devil's advocate]

Plenty of blight and not much spraying weather

I share your pain. Its either drizzle or a stiff breeze.

Veg in my case & I find to get really good aphid control it needs to be really still.

Blight sprays maybe a little more forgivving gets some chemical on the underside of the leaf.

 

[AndrewB]

I had a patch in a corner of field where I missed a bit with the sprayer at least I know the expensive spray is working.
Reversing in to all corners now!

 

[Sonoftheheir]

I had a patch in a corner of field where I missed a bit with the sprayer at least I know the expensive spray is working.
Reversing in to all corners now!

Not meaning to teach sucking eggs…….

The last year I had blight we found it started on the edges of the field and moved in. The boom wasn’t spraying the loppy potato tops on the field edges. After that we put an extra nozzle on each boom end to make
Sure we didn’t do it again. I also spray the opposite way around the field with each blight spray, make sure to back right in the corners, and put pressure up
Manually when starting the first run so it’s not just dribbling out to start.

We also don’t plant the wheeling rows, we had too much water in them previously and the ruts would make the boom fly up and down. Touch wood, we’ve had no where near the rots we used to get in store since.

 

[ridger]

My blight is on the bit that had to be replanted, they were looking so well too.

 

[Bigjon44]

What have folk been using chemical wise in this damp summer??!!