It’s turning out to be a super year for our favourite Comber Earlies

“That’s a pretty unusual scenario for growers, given the vagaries of the weather here in Northern Ireland,” confirmed Hugh Chambers.

“But more importantly, from a consumer point of view, it means that the eating quality of this year’s Comber Earlies will be excellent.”

Hugh is a specialist potato and cereal grower, farming right down to the shore line at the north end of Strangford Lough.

He started lifting the first of this year’s early crops on Monday of this week. This means that his excellent potatoes are in Tesco, SuperValu and Dunne Stores’ outlets across Northern Ireland right now.

Dunluce is the first early variety most commonly grown in Northern Ireland.

Wilson’s Country agronomist Stuart Meredith joined Hugh, just as the harvesting work got underway.

“The recent warm weather, which was preceded by heavy rain, has encouraged tremendous growth within all potato crops,” Stuart explained.

“As a result, growers are digging earlies this year at around the same time as would have been the case in 2021.”

According to Hugh, crops are yielding an average of 4t/ac. He also grows Home Guard potatoes, which will be available later in the season.

The North Down man grows early and main crop potatoes as part of the overall arable rotation followed on the farm.

Local potato consumption has continued to hold up on the back of the home cooking experiences enjoyed by so by many thousands of people across Northern Ireland during the Covid-19 lock downs.

The recent spell of decent weather may well give a further boost to the traditional demand for Comber earlies over the coming weeks. They are the perfect accompaniment to a summer salad or barbecue.

These are heady times for the local potato industry. Ireland recently hosted the World Potato Congress (WPC), the first time this important event has ever been here.

Traditionally, the get-together has been used to promote the benefits of the potato to a global audience.

However, it received added impetus this year given the attendance of numerous farming, food industry and political leaders from around the world.

The event culminated with the unanimous endorsement by all attending delegates of the ‘Dublin Declaration’. This seeks the United Nations to endorse the principle of an ‘Annual World Potato Day.”

For further information, contact Wilson’s Country on (028) 3839 1029.