Disastrous weather conditions since the start of the year mean that this year’s crop is so far ten times smaller than normal, with one farmer saying that he is ‘pulling out marbles rather than potatoes’.
The poor harvest follows expensive marketing campaigns which have raised the profile of the Island’s most famous export. As a result, an increase in demand was anticipated and many fields which have not been planted for years have been given over to potatoes.
‘It’s so bad. I have never known it like this,’ said St Ouen grower Lambert Carré. ‘I have been growing for over 50 years and this is the worst year ever.’
