Jersey potato growers losing £2 million per week due to crop delay

Jersey's potato farmers are losing up to two million GBP (3+ million USD, 2.3+ million EUR) a week in exports because the bad weather has delayed crops.

Acres of fields remain covered in plastic to try and warm the soil so potatoes can be dug up.

Farmers say it's been their worst season ever, but hope they will recoup their losses over the next four months.

Very wet conditions were only made worse by the last month's snow and blizzards.

Today the very first of this year's outdoor crop were picked - a month later than usual.

It comes as UK supermarkets ramp up the pressure on local growers to come up with the goods.

William Church of The Jersey Royal Company said: "Retailers are all looking for Jersey Royals as soon as they can get hold of them. So at the moment whilst they're understanding because there's a general shortage of potatoes in the marketplace, and everybody knows how cold it's been not just here but across the whole of the mainland, it doesn't stop them wanting them."

Tim Ward, Operations Director at Albert Bartlett Potatoes in Trinity said: "It's been incredible. It's been the most challenging season on record, for sure. We've got growers who can remember back to 1962 as being the last time there was as big a challenge as this has been, really. It's just been so cold, so wet, for so long, really."

The export industry's worth up to £40million a year to Jersey and UK supermarkets and their shoppers all demand Jersey Royals.

But for every week that goes by, that's £2million the farmers will lose out on.

Finally some outdoor crops are ready for picking, and if today's weather is an indicator that spring is sprung, there's still time for the industry to recover their losses.

Channelonline.t