UK consumers haven’t lost their “excitement” for the Jersey Royal, according to industry representatives – with this year’s season being deemed successful despite some later crop having to be ploughed back into fields.
Almost 21,000 tonnes of potatoes were exported this year, which was slightly more than last year but still down on the late 1990s when around 50,000 tonnes would be shipped northwards.
However, industry representatives said the consolidation of area farmed – along with the end of other export crops such as cauliflowers, broccoli and daffodils – was not all bad news as it meant growers could rotate fields more, allowing more cover crops to be sown to improve yield and soil health.
Reflecting on the season, which is coming to a close, Jersey Farmers’ Union President Dougie Richardson said: “The area grown was similar to last year but it was two very different seasons.
“Last year, it was cold and wet early on so the yield was subdued, and growers were chasing the crop, with lighter yields than we would have liked.
“This year was completely different: the early conditions were very good, and the crop developed much quicker, so we had bigger yields than last year.
“There was more excess tonnage this year. No one likes to see crop ploughed into the ground but provided you hit your sales tonnage, then you have done your job. It is all about money at the end of the day.
“It is always nice to sell more and get more money in, but the retailer will have a plan and it is very difficult to sell more than you thought you would.
“Overall, it was not a bad year at all. The growers would have liked to have sold the whole crop but nothing is ever perfect.”
He added: “Looking after the soil and using new technology is a continuous journey.
“Rotating crops is a much bigger thing now and while it is a negative that there are very few other cash crops, it is a positive in that we can rest fields for longer.
“We are working closely with the dairy industry to rest fields, which means we are using fewer chemicals and getting more nutritious soil, which ultimately means better yields.
“And better yields means better returns, which makes for a stronger and more successful industry.”
John Hicks, who is brand and marketing director at exporter Albert Bartlett, said that UK consumers, and especially influential professional chefs and ‘foodies’, were still excited by the “theatre” of the arrival of the Jersey Royal.
“It is a catalyst for the start of the potato season; therefore, the Jersey Royal is important to the whole UK industry,” he said.
“It was a very successful PR and marketing campaign, which included four visits by ITV to the Island, which not only showcased the product but also Jersey as a whole.
“It is a profitable business but we are not complacent and are making significant long-term investments to secure the Jersey Royal’s future.”
Mr Hicks added that Albert Bartlett and its marketing partners were targeting a younger people and families, as research showed that the variety mainly had an older audience.
The firm had also developed new ‘farm shop’ packaging to counter a general decline in loose sales and it was also experimenting with ways to introduce the Jersey Royal into the convenience-food and frozen-food markets.
