Trying
Member
Leave them as they are.I wonder if we put our other farms address with Cambs in it they’d make more
don’t want you taking all the trade. 
Potato price 2018
- Thread starter Sonoftheheir
- Start date
don’t want you taking all the trade. 
Honest john
Member
- Location
- Fenland
Suffolk that’s sharp Sandy soil on coast.
Cambridgeshire Fen is best.
Cambridgeshire Fen is best.
- Location
- Lincs / Cambs border
When we delivered to the fish & chip shops all they ever asked for Lincolnshire Maris piper .
- Location
- West Suffolk
- Location
- West Suffolk
ha ha yes, haven’t thought of that, I guess Suffolk earlies are grown on the sand. Black fen here.
midlandslad
Member
- Location
- Midlands
Has there been much uplift in demand for potatoes?
- Location
- West Suffolk
Never known it so quiet in 30 years!
Hope the phone rings off the hook in the morning!
welger
Member
- Location
- derbyshire
Our gate trade is very poor this year for marfona .normally 12 to 15 ton a week-this year half this
Austin7
Member
Yea your right, except about the Essex bitSuffolk potatoes are better
Essex spuds are of course the best, although those of us left growing them are obviously extremely foolish and irrational. Who would struggle with clay when the rest of the industry lies in a featherbed of sand and peat? However, good old fashioned Hanslope Clay does give spuds a bloom which helps when your market is directly to the consumer peeling the spuds. So, whilst they are not going to the chippy they are still eating spuds, our sales tons are up 35% over last year but thanks to orphaned Markies selling for tuppence our prices are down 3%. Perhaps Essex growers don’t need sectioning after all.
Trying
Member
What is your interpretation of tuppence for markies.
Honest john
Member
- Location
- Fenland
- Location
- West Suffolk
Did you get clear before Christmas?
Trying
Member
Yep last 10 pallets went Tuesday before Christmas. How are you getting on?
- Location
- West Suffolk
Worrying! Putting the below COP price out of the mind, we haven’t enough movement imo. Not with so many in stores with just ambient controls and no cipc.
I can’t see demand picking up either, not unless others have shifted more than usual early and we can pick up orders from those who have finished.
I have heard from more than one grower who have nearly finished by sending extra to Ireland before Xmas.
Trying
Member
Cost of production for me is very different compared with the larger outfits.
Everything is paid for so no borrowing cost.
Grow between 20/30 acres each year depending on field size on a 9 year rotation.
Extra labour for 2 days setting and 4/5 days lifting. Can grade on my own (although son has left college this year) 75 ton a week.
21ton an acre this year graded out. Normally 16/17 ton. Packed up counting cost of production two years ago when they went for 400. Last year 270 and this 150.
When I did it was always around 90/95 £/t graded out. So at150 I’m still making enough money to justify growing. As I always say don’t bite off more the you can chew. Or afford to lose.
Last edited:
Austin7
Member
We grade and pack between Christmas and the New Year and there is always an itinerant customer who comes on wanting spuds. This year was no exception and I was forcefully told that our prices were ridiculous as he had been paying £3 a bag for Markies, hence selling for tuppence. Surely, at best, that was all there was left to the grower to recompense him for his risk, costs, capital and labour.
Honest john
Member
- Location
- Fenland
Really we need another £80 too £100 a ton. But with Lock downs & not opening up Easter at best, it’s not looking any good this season.
If you look back at my posts in March 2019, I predicted this & dumped seed but not many followed my example, if they had prices would have been a bit better.
Just saying.
If you look back at my posts in March 2019, I predicted this & dumped seed but not many followed my example, if they had prices would have been a bit better.
Just saying.
Austin7
Member
Absolutely right, the sure road to penury is to have too many spuds and too few customers. We grow half what we did five years ago so don’t end up chasing the market down to clear the crop.
ridger
Member
- Location
- Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Potatoes are moving reasonably well at the minute because restaurants and hotels are mostly closed, so people are cooking at home. Should get more moved now if schools stay closed, that will be a bigger dinner each day
Trying
Member
For me your prediction doesn’t really count on my small scale. But I totally agree about the price another 100 and my boy would have had a fresh tractor.
I think that if everyone over a certain size reduced their area everyone would benefit. Those who think bigger is best are only fooling themselves. Like with cereals I would rather have 3ton at 200 than 4.5 at 130. Do less better. And everyone’s a winner.