Potato planting intentions

[chipchap]

Usually have just over half my expected tonnage on fixed price contract. Customers are expectedly unwilling to sign up. McCains have reputedly cut everybody back 20-25%. What is everybody doing?

 

[Honest john]

Usually have just over half my expected tonnage on fixed price contract. Customers are expectedly unwilling to sign up. McCains have reputedly cut everybody back 20-25%. What is everybody doing?

Back 40% to reduce risk.

 

[Honest john]

Mc Canes
Back 50% on earlies.
20% on Sec Earlies.
is what I am hearing.

 

[warksfarmer]

0%

 

[ridger]

Cutting back 10%

 

[Sonoftheheir]

About 10% down

 

[Sonoftheheir]

What’s everyone doing with their spare seed?

 

[mountfarm]

Usually have just over half my expected tonnage on fixed price contract. Customers are expectedly unwilling to sign up. McCains have reputedly cut everybody back 20-25%. What is everybody doing?

Planting nothing and the land is being fallowed.

 

[Still Farming]

And people want veg like it's going out of fashion??
Funny old world ant'it?

 

[AndrewB]

Area up 18%, 80% of our potato land is rented so just have to go with what the land owners offer us.
excellent planting conditions and almost 50% planted, we would normally just be starting at this time.

 

[chipchap]

How will the BPC survive?

 

[Chae1]

Area up 18%, 80% of our potato land is rented so just have to go with what the land owners offer us.
excellent planting conditions and almost 50% planted, we would normally just be starting at this time.

Do you not think there offering you more because spring barley job looking poor?

 

[AndrewB]

Do you not think there offering you more because spring barley job looking poor?

Not really, malting price is ok if you make spec.
got some extra land as farmer didn’t think he could source labour to harvest veg because of brexit.

 

[David.]

Area up 18%, 80% of our potato land is rented so just have to go with what the land owners offer us.
excellent planting conditions and almost 50% planted, we would normally just be starting at this time.

Are you making the assumption that if you turn some down you won't get offered again?

 

[AndrewB]

Are you making the assumption that if you turn some down you won't get offered again?

Plenty other potato growers would take it and just complicates things if two of you are renting on the same farm.
The farmers rotations and field size are the main fluctuations.

 

[Chae1]

Not really, malting price is ok if you make spec.
got some extra land as farmer didn’t think he could source labour to harvest veg because of brexit.

Was getting £125/t for malting spot last harvest. If you could get them to take it. Sold feed barley for higher price. Sounds better letting it for £400/acre with no risk.

Okay if you've got futures based tonnage.

 

[Sonoftheheir]

Conditions here are terrible, so dry. Hope to start mon/tues. Bit late by all accounts. But everyone around here seems to have gone early.

Who knows if there’ll be a market for free buy chipping? I don’t think there’s ever been a more risky crop.

 

[kiwi pom]

What’s everyone doing with their spare seed?

My brother said McCain collected their spare seed the other day. Was bound for a digester apparently. He was told they are dumping thousands of tons of seed.

 

[Sonoftheheir]

My brother said McCain collected their spare seed the other day. Was bound for a digester apparently. He was told they are dumping thousands of tons of seed.

Well I’m glad to hear they are in a way. This really doesn’t seem to be the year to carry on regardless.

 

[kiwi pom]

Well I’m glad to hear they are in a way. This really doesn’t seem to be the year to carry on regardless.

I think he said they were planting more maize (he's in Cheshire btw) as it gave them more options. They have planted some spuds but are way down.
No doubt someone will plant more and take a risk.

Harvesting here at the moment, so farmers haven't got that worry yet.