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World Potato Congress to discuss challenges for sector as Irish sales take post-Covid dip

Potato sales surged during the first two years of the pandemic as people ate most of their meals at home.

THE WORLD POTATO Congress, which is being held in Ireland this year, will hear that the sector needs to better promote itself, particularly among younger age groups, as sales have dipped after a surge during Covid lockdowns.

Ross Keogh, director of Keogh’s Farm – which many readers will know for their crisps – will delver a presentation to up to 1,000 delegates at the congress on Tuesday, focusing on what lies ahead for the potato and what the sector needs to do to ensure that its future is secure.

“Sales are down in the fresh potato sector, that needs to be looked at and addressed,” Keogh told The Journal.

“A lot of it is connected to coming out of the Covid restrictions and lockdowns, people are not shopping in the same way.

“During Covid we sold a lot of potatoes, people were at home cooking all of their family meals, now people are out and about more, they don’t want to be in the house cooking as much.

“People who are working at home all day also don’t always want to spend their evenings at home cooking.”

He said sales have returned to 2019 levels, but many in the sector had expanded their operations to meet the increased demand during Covid and had planted their crop based on the 2021 market.

Keogh said everyone in the chain, from the farmers to the packers to the retailers selling the potatoes have extra costs, but the price of potatoes has not gone up in line with inflation.

Brexit has also caused a challenge as farmers can no longer get their supply of seed potatoes – potatoes grown specifically to be planted to grow crops – from Scotland.

“The government is providing funding to growers to look into growing the seed that we’re short of,” Keogh said.

“We’ve had to do that already, but growing seed potatoes requires a little bit more expertise and it needs to be done in certain areas of the country – up in Donegal, for example, there are similar conditions to Scotland.”

What the industry needs, Keogh will tell the congress on Tuesday, is to better promote itself, particularly among younger age groups.

“It’s the number now carbohydrate and we take it for granted,” he said.

“There is a potato promotion that’s now in it’s third year, Bord Bia is fronting that with EU finding and that’s been aimed at people aged 18-34. From data in recent years, compared to older generations they’re not cooking potatoes as much.

“We need to get it out there that the potato is 0% fat, full of nutrition, it’s healthy, it’s good value and it’s versatile. We need to turn that on its head and get them to fall in love with the potato.”

The 11th World Potato Congress will take place from 30 May to 2 June at the RDS in Dublin. The event will feature more than 60 speakers and is set to be attended by up to one thousand delegates from over 60 countries.

Speakers will discuss a broad range of topics, including the impact of the war in Ukraine on the global potato industry, consumer trends in global markets and the role of research in food security and sustainability.

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    Mute Rob67
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    May 13th 2019, 2:13 PM

    Wonderful human being with a beautiful voice and delightful comic timing. Rest in Peace.

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    Mute Bob Earner
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    May 13th 2019, 2:11 PM

    Now there was an icon!

    Think I’ll go download the Calamity Jane soundtrack……

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    May 13th 2019, 3:58 PM

    @Bob Earner: Whip crack away,whip crack awayyyyyyyyy

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    May 13th 2019, 11:24 PM

    @Quentin Moriarty: : )

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    May 13th 2019, 2:11 PM

    RIP , not only a silver screen icon but also for animal welfare. She will be missed

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    Mute Rachel Didleu
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    May 13th 2019, 2:58 PM

    @marianne ryan: mossie lo ed her too

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    Mute Anya
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    May 13th 2019, 2:18 PM

    So very sad, I loved her. What a fantastic woman she seemed to be and what an incredible talent. R.I.P

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    Mute CBOjNUsc
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    May 13th 2019, 2:17 PM

    From a time when acting and movies were just incredible. RIP.

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    Mute Insider at RTE
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    May 13th 2019, 2:30 PM

    Ce sera sera

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    May 13th 2019, 6:45 PM
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    May 13th 2019, 2:34 PM

    What a beautiful legend full of life and charismatic presence on and off stage

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    May 13th 2019, 3:00 PM

    @Joseph Molloy: used. Hrysm( )

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    Mute Pl O'neill
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    May 13th 2019, 2:15 PM

    I fell in love with her over and over again .

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    May 13th 2019, 2:17 PM

    Awwe Rip. REM watching her on black and white TV in the 70s

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    May 13th 2019, 3:09 PM

    Stars shining bright above you,r.i.p Doris Day,wonderful voice

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    Mute sequoia
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    May 13th 2019, 2:19 PM

    Absolute icon

    I read years ago Tarantino wanted her to play Mama Vega to John Travolta & Michael Madson’s Vic & Vincent in “The Vega Brothers” but it never happened. Would have been a scene stealer.

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    May 13th 2019, 3:09 PM

    She looks great for 97

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    Mute Calum Benson
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    May 13th 2019, 2:20 PM

    “She joined a long list of actors to receive her own star on the Hollywood walk of fame”. They always forget to mention that the actor in question then has to pay $40,000 for it to be installed and maintained…

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    Mute Karl C
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    May 13th 2019, 2:25 PM

    @Calum Benson: sure actors are millionaires. That amount is nothing to them.

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    May 13th 2019, 6:16 PM

    She was magic with a fantastic voice.

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    Mute Kerry Evans
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    May 13th 2019, 7:42 PM

    Every day should be a Doris Day
    She brought us all such innocent joy…
    Good night Calamity Jane…
    Que sera sera sera sera sera..

    Ar dheis Dè go raibh a hAnam dìlis

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    May 13th 2019, 3:40 PM

    Woah what a icon though and 97 is a hell of an age to get to there’s not a person alive who wouldn’t be lucky to live that long. R.I.P

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    May 13th 2019, 11:42 PM

    We watch Calamity every Xmas don’t know why but we always have family tradition, this Xmas won’t b the same… fab actress and person

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