Potato Price Tracker

[chipchap]

When you want to start up growing msg me too as we have just grown our last potatoes! We were all seed and the contracts cover cost of production. There is no factor built in for a bad virus/blackleg downgraded year so how can you run a business on the hope your input seed is ok and the merchant is capable of selling tonnage above contract! Too high risk and not enough reward for us, best not to mention machinery prices!

But the merchants still want top dollar from us ware growers, often for crap quality too.

I no longer hesitate to reject on delivery any stock I don’t like the look of.

 

[Flatland farmer]

Why is it that when pots are £300 + per ton someone will be saying they are getting £320. Yet when they are £150 £250 no one is saying what they are getting.

 

[Sonoftheheir]

We aren’t selling yet, I hear £180-£220 for chipping stuff.

 

[Trying]

We aren’t selling yet, I hear £180-£220 for chipping stuff.

That’s what I’m hearing too. Haven’t started either.

 

[Luke20]

We haven't started yet but dad wants to have a bit of a go towards the end of next week, sagitta wants to be at least £200/t for us to consider selling in any volume.

 

[farmerphilly]

We haven't started yet but dad wants to have a bit of a go towards the end of next week, sagitta wants to be at least £200/t for us to consider selling in any volume.

I think exactly the same but I think there’s a bit of excess packing stuff about at the minute. I’ve heard horror stories of melody at around 80 quid!

 

[Luke20]

£185 for sagitta for a load this week, £190 for very top stuff merchant says. We will see how they get on with them.

 

[farmerphilly]

£185 for sagitta for a load this week, £190 for very top stuff merchant says. We will see how they get on with them.

In bags?

 

[Luke20]

In bags?

yes

 

[farmerphilly]

yes

Surely Sagitta should be worth 200 quid. The whole country has been told to expect price rises

 

[Luke20]

Surely Sagitta should be worth 200 quid. The whole country has been told to expect price rises

They should be and probably will be in a few weeks time, hopefully

 

[farmerphilly]

They should be and probably will be in a few weeks time, hopefully

That’s what I was thinking.....

 

[David.]

Nice looking Wilja in TFM Banbury £6.49 bag.
Okay price retail I thought.

 

[chaffcutter]

Question for you professional growers, we used to grow Wilja which was a very successful variety for us and are good eating potatoes, but they have never been a mainstream variety and I don’t know why?
Any ideas?

 

[chipchap]

Question for you professional growers, we used to grow Wilja which was a very successful variety for us and are good eating potatoes, but they have never been a mainstream variety and I don’t know why?
Any ideas?

Poor appearance by virtue of its skin finish.
Anybody who knows the variety knows it’s eating quality.

Note to supermarkets: the appearance of a raw potato has no bearing on its eating quality.

 

[Devil's advocate]

Question for you professional growers, we used to grow Wilja which was a very successful variety for us and are good eating potatoes, but they have never been a mainstream variety and I don’t know why?
Any ideas?

We used to like Kondor which although a red was bred, from the same parents. Great eater but susectable to bruising & blackleg, now grow Maintou just as good without the problems.

We loved Wilja but some how got dropped, can't remember why. Marforna which we have this year are a nightmare for growing into rougth shaped jumbo's. May be should get some Wilja, Pentland Ivory or Jarevlin if still available.

 

[David.]

Wilja were fairly susceptible to drought we found, on good bodied soil with rain as required, they cropped really well; good sized tubers and almost no waste, no hollows and few rots. In a dry summer on brash soil, you could end up with a sample like bold seed.
In the garden with water, I don't think you can beat them.

 

[Devil's advocate]

Wilja were fairly susceptible to drought we found, on good bodied soil with rain as required, they cropped really well; good sized tubers and almost no waste, no hollows and few rots. In a dry summer on brash soil, you could end up with a sample like bold seed.
In the garden with water, I don't think you can beat them.

Oh different to Kondor then, because they can deliver huge yeilds even in a drought.

But potatoes are all different just looked at Pentaland Ivory's parents Dell & Crown totally different varieties to Ivory. Two horrible maincrops breeding a nice second early.

 

[DefenderDave]

We used to like Kondor which although a red was bred, from the same parents. Great eater but susectable to bruising & blackleg, now grow Maintou just as good without the problems.

We loved Wilja but some how got dropped, can't remember why. Marforna which we have this year are a nightmare for growing into rougth shaped jumbo's. May be should get some Wilja, Pentland Ivory or Jarevlin if still available.

Marfona are ugly things, but are drought resistant and taste lovely. Challenger tick a lot more boxes, they look similar too Wilja while matching the marfona for drought resistance and taste. Also the chippers like them as they stay golden.

 

[Fubar]

Poor appearance by virtue of its skin finish.
Anybody who knows the variety knows it’s eating quality.

Note to supermarkets: the appearance of a raw potato has no bearing on its eating quality.

The supermarkets have ruined the fresh potato market by pushing for good looking varieties over good eating varieties. Same could be probably be said for most fruit and veg.