Cereal growers may well have rejoiced at the hot summer weather and the quality of the grain it produced.
But the sun and heat has caused problems for Scotland’s potato growers whose yields and crop quality have been hit.
The dry conditions have been ideal for common scab, a disease which affects the skin quality of tubers. Harvest is also running late by about a week to 10 days because of the legacy of the cold spring. Harvesting has, however, been carried out, up to now, at least in near perfect soil conditions.
Paddy Graham Jones, the technical director at Airdrie-based packer Albert Bartlett, joined growers in describing it as an average year for the sector.
He said the scab issue was most prevalent on Maris Peer and Maris Piper. While farmers were not seeing much evidence of it on crops as they were being lifted it would begin to show its ugly self as tatties are processed and that could lead to a significant level of rejections for fresh retail use.
“Some of these potatoes could go for processing as the scab is only on the outside of the tuber. But there are processing crops grown in England. The likelihood is that processors will have a field day,” he warned.
Mr Graham Jones acknowledged ex-farm prices remained low, although there is the likelihood of an increase once the supply situation across Europe is better known. There is also the potential this year for Britain to export ware tatties because of problems on the continent and in the former Soviet Bloc, where exceptionally wet weather is hampering lifting and winter cereal crop sowing.
Bartlett is exporting limited stocks to Germany, but Mr Graham Jones said Russian markets had to re-open if the full potential of the shortfall in EU and Russian Federation stocks is to be realised.
Philip Benzie, who grows 1,500 acres of ware, said the contrast in harvesting conditions between this year and last could not be more stark.
Mr Benzie, who farms at Gairnieston, King Edward, near Turriff, said tuber quality, apart from the common scab problem, was otherwise good. Yields were, however, distinctly average and awful in light soils, where crops have suffered because of the lack of rain. “There’s some good crops, but equally there’s some terrible crops. There haven’t been any records broken this year,” said Mr Benzie, who has about 400 acres still to lift.
David Hay at Easter Rhynd, Perth, and who grows 400 acres, said: “It’s average. We’re now halfway through lifting. It’s not been a disaster, but there’s nothing exceptional either. Quality has been pretty good. We’re getting 25 (one tonne) boxes to the acre in some fields and 18 in others, so the average would be about 22.”
Peter Grewer sen, who grows 400 acres of seed in the Black Isle and 900 acres of ware in Perthshire and Angus, added: “It was a great summer, but yields have been nothing special and prices are not as good as last year.”
Mr Grewar, who farms from East Ardler, Meigle, said common scab had surfaced and there was a “bit more of it”.
Russia banned all ware and seed potato imports from the EU in July in response to golden nematodes, a highly infectious eel worm, being found in two shipments sent from the Netherlands in June.
The Dutch exports had both been certified as nematode free. Russia said EU controls were insufficient and that the embargo would apply until its concerns are addressed.
The commission was unable to say when the ban would be lifted and would not comment further on the negotiations with Russia, despite being asked repeatedly.
Scottish MEP George Lyon, however, told the Press and Journal that both sides met last Friday in Moscow and that the issue has been given priority status. He hopes a conclusion can be reached soon.