Farmers may have to cut the volume of Jersey Royal potatoes grown in a season if the Island’s biggest agricultural crop is to maintain its premium status, an industry leader has said.

The lack of rainfall could affect the potato-lifting season, the Jersey Royal Company has said as the Island is set to enter a drought. Mike Renouard, business unit director at The Jersey Royal Company, said that farmers were hoping for a period of rain to help with the growth of their crop.

The harvest of the famous Jersey Royal potato has started on the island, the initial volumes are small and are sold via wholesale markets in London and Southampton, before moving across the rest of the United Kingdom.

Farmers in Jersey fear losing up to 1,000 tonnes of potatoes which are stuck in the ground after the relentless wet weather turned the Island’s fields into unworkable ‘bogs’.

The largest potato grower, packer and marketer of Jersey Royal new potatoes has seen a significant reduction in labour costs after investing in three Haith destoners for its potato packing operations