Consumers fork out €7m on new potatoes

CONSUMERS spent more than €7 million on new potatoes last year — and they are expected to fork out even more this season.

This was revealed when the winning schools and runners-up in Agri Aware’s “Meet the Spuds” competition were announced in Dublin.

The occasion was used to launch this year’s week-long new potato campaign which includes in-store tastings, competitions and the distribution of a recipe booklet jointly funded by Bord Bia and growers with help from the Irish Farmers Association (IFA).

A bumper harvest is expected, according to the IFA’s Jim Griffin, who said farmers are looking forward to meeting the growing demand for high quality new potatoes.

Agri Aware, as part of the United Nations Year of the Potato, organised the Meet the Spuds challenge in which 2,000 primary schools took part.

Pupils have been competitively sowing, watering and digging their potatoes since February for the competition which carried prizes of more than €10,000 in educational funds.

Horticulture Minister Trevor Sargent announced the five winning schools and five runners-up at the Botanic Gardens in Dublin.

All 10 schools won a €1,000 fund to start or further develop a school garden and they also won the additional prize of a complimentary visit from Agri Aware’s mobile farm.

Mr Sargent said he had been greatly impressed by all the schools that produced wonderful potatoes from seed.

“With food security and prices making headlines more and more, it is wonderful to see this overwhelming interest in food growing amongst young people,” he said.

Agri Aware chairwoman Mairead Lavery said she believed the initiative has helped primary school pupils understand where their food comes from and the role of the Irish farmer in supplying quality produce.

“With increasing emphasis on food security, I feel this project will subliminally encourage the children not to take food for granted. Now that they are young farmers, they know the effort it takes to produce a healthy yield,” she said.

The five award-winning schools with the runners-up in brackets were:

Scoil Bhride, Crossmahon, Bandon (Co Cork) Scoil Naoimh Mhuire, Farran, Co Cork), Ballyroan Boys NS, Rathfarnham, Dublin (Our Lady of Victories, Ballymun Road, Dublin), Carnross NS, Kells, Co Meath (St Tighearnach’s NS. Cullohill, Co Laois), Coolbock NS, Riverstown, Co Sligo (Niall Mhoir NS, Killbegs, Co Donegal), St Michael’s SS, Skerries, Co Dublin (St John’s SS, Dungarvan, Co Waterford).