There are still a few weeks to go before the new season begins, but Jersey Royal potato producers are hoping that 2009 will be their year. Jersey Royals are well known for their sweet flavour, light skin and waxy texture and can sell for as much as three times the price of other new potatoes.
Growers are cautiously optimistic that they will be make gains this season, following a challenging 2008, when Jersey endured its heaviest rainfall in living memory in May. Growers struggled to save their crop as devastating floods left 40 per cent of the crop under water, cutting the 2008 season to just four weeks. Tales of tractors being damaged in the course of towing vehicles out of the mud abounded and some growers reverted to hand harvesting their crop in May and early June.
Tesco, in partnership with Jersey growers, mounted a £200,000 campaign named Operation Save Our Spuds in June 2008. “There was a Dunkirk spirit about the operation as we moved potatoes to the mainland,” says Jonathan Corbett, Tesco’s buying manager for potatoes and root vegetables. “Save Our Spuds ensured that Tesco sustained its relationship with its suppliers and helped keep farmers in business.”
Producers breathed a sigh of relief as the 2008 season drew to a close. However, in the run-up to this season, early reports did not shape up well. The cold winter weather delayed crop production and some growers were not able to plant their potato seeds. Urgent action was needed and planters began long days from 7.30am through to 6pm, making the most of the daylight hours.
Growers were hoping to have caught up by March and it appears that their efforts have paid off. “The weather has been much better in the last few weeks and if good conditions continue, we could be in for a record crop reaching thousands of tonnes,” says Corbett, who visited Jersey in mid-March to check out the crop. “So far, good quality and sizes have been reported.”
A normal season runs for some eight to 10 weeks, beginning in April and peaking in mid-May.
Corbett says that this year will be a crucial time for Jersey growers. “I think there is a lack of real understanding about how important the Jersey season is,” he says. “It signifies the start of the new potato season and if there is a delay in Jersey, there is a knock-on effect on the rest of UK supplies.”
Most of the crop has now been planted, but development has been slow due to the exceptionally cold winter.
Tim Ward, general manager of Albert Bartlett (Jersey) Ltd, maintains that while the weather may potentially delay the season slightly, the final outcome will be determined by the growing conditions in the coming weeks. “Sizes are in line with the current requirements of the marketplace, which has seen a continued trend towards washed, pre-packed, smaller graded potatoes bought by consumers looking for convenience,” he tells FPJ. “It is a little early to predict quality, although to date, planting conditions have been good, even though it has been cold.”
If all goes to plan, William Church of the Jersey Royal Company expects this season’s crop to reach about 30,000 tonnes. “Planting was delayed due to the frozen ground followed by very wet conditions in early to mid-January, so we expect the season to start slower than usual and be one to two weeks behind,” he tells FPJ. “Much depends on the weather throughout March.”
The Jersey Royal Company grows and markets potatoes from more than 4,000 acres and uses five other contract growers. The firm exported 23,000t of potatoes in 2008 and, like the other island growers, poor weather last May created huge problems in lifting the potatoes as it was difficult to work the land.
According to Church, the Jersey Royal holds a unique position in the potato calendar as it is the earliest new potato and is well supported by customers. “There is a strong demand for Jersey Royal over other imported potato varieties,” he adds.
Church claims the structure of the Jersey Royal Company sets it apart from other potato producers and marketing companies, as it controls the whole process from seed and land preparation, through to the final product on the supermarket shelf. “This is even more relevant this season as we have invested in a state-of-the-art pre-packing facility to pack potatoes at source, which will optimise the freshness of the product,” he explains.
Indeed, millions of pounds have been invested in the Jersey Royal potato sector in recent years and two new packhouses will open this season.
There has also been significant investment in new machinery and tractors, while insiders say that a small number of retired farmers have re-entered the industry and some are planning to use more fields for potatoes.
Albert Bartlett is better known for the Rooster brand and its Scottish potato operations, but the Airdrie-based producer spent part of last year constructing a new multi-million pound potato facility and packhouse in Jersey. “This major development, together with significant reinvestment from our grower base, will improve the offer to the consumer by reducing substantially the time it takes from field to fork,” says Ward.
The producer has increased its total area by more than 30 per cent from last year. In addition, Ward says that its growers held back a larger area for this season’s seed plantings than they ordinarily would, and this will have a positive effect on volume availability.
Albert Bartlett works with 10 potato growers in Jersey and all are increasing their planted area this season. The producer exported 6,000t in 2008 - approximately 20 per cent on last season’s total. This represents a substantial rise from the four per cent rise on the previous year.
According to Ward, the major challenge facing the Jersey Royal industry is consistently living up to its reputation. However, he is confident that the strong brand will ensure that the sector can more than deliver. “We have a fantastic product with brand recognition in a marketplace that is constantly changing,” he says. “We need to deliver our inherent brand virtues by improving the way we handle the product.”
Church says that planning the season and organising integrated marketing strategies to satisfy all customers is always a challenge. Production costs have increased dramatically over the last few years, so the timing of promotions with production forecasts is more important than ever.
The amount of land available for growers looking to increase their production also poses a challenge. “The volume of Jersey Royals exported is to a large extent limited by the area of land available to grow, coupled with specific customer demands on the size of potato,” Church explains.
Ward says it is the consumer that dictates what the multiple buyer needs to offer and that this has changed significantly in recent years due to time-pressed shoppers wanting convenience, quality, flavour and healthy options, along with understanding about where their product comes from. “We can deliver across all those elements,” he says.
A number of opportunities remain for the Jersey sector and Ward says it has yet to see the full potential of washed pre-packs within the multiples. “By improving the freshness, appearance and shelf life of the product, we will be able to increase our share of fresh potato sales,” he says.
Ward does not think that climate change will have any impact on the seasonal supply of the island’s potatoes in the short term. “Jersey Royals are one of the only truly seasonal products, even though the sector is growing the product much earlier than it ever used to, due in part to the use of plastic covers on the fields,” he says. “I believe that we can reduce the amount of plastic used as an industry and return our product to its more natural season.”
However, Church says that production is directly related to weather patterns in terms of temperatures and rainfall, and climate change could impact on seasonality. “We consider this to be a more long-term potential problem,” he adds.
Corbett warns that if new potatoes are not available when consumers expect them, the whole potato sector will suffer as customers seek alternative carbohydrates and the sector will not enjoy the same uplift in sales. This competition has come from various sectors, particularly from pasta and rice.
“While the fresh potato industry has used the introduction of new varieties and increased marketing to help combat this, Jersey producers have to focus on raising the standard in growing and packing a variety that has been produced on the island for more than 100 years,” Ward says.
Meanwhile, recent reports that Jersey Royal potatoes and other Jersey-sourced foods will be sold in Jamie Oliver’s London-based restaurant Fifteen throughout May could give the sector a boost. The month-long partnership will involve the restaurant serving a number of foods from Jersey including Jersey Royals, asparagus, salads and seafood. “The partnership will give Jersey a very welcome additional profile in London at an opportune time and to an ideal audience,” says Alan Maclean, Jersey’s economic development minister.
As the new season approaches, expectations are running high and the sector is hoping that it has finally turned a corner.
JERSEY ROYALS - KEY FACTS
Jersey Royals have been grown on the island for more than 100 years and a Protected Designation of Origin prevents the variety from being grown anywhere other than on the island.
Production peaks in May, when up to 1,500 tonnes are exported daily. The total Jersey Royal crop can range from 36,000t to 50,000t a year and some 99 per cent is exported to mainland Britain.
Around 82-85 per cent of the crop is sold to multiples and 10 per cent is sold to catering operations.
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