Potato growers in Northern Ireland fear a serious shortage of seed potatoes in 2022 as Britain keeps its borders closed. Does this offer opportunities for the Dutch seed potato trading houses?
Trade in seed potatoes between the European Union and the United Kingdom has been frozen since the beginning of July. The UK does not want to commit to the EU's phytosanitary rules. Free market access, as it existed before Brexit, will therefore no longer exist. It previously appeared that a new purpose would have to be found for this 30.000 tons of seed potatoes from the EU. Meanwhile, concerns are growing in Northern Ireland.
Absurd and destructive
Northern Irish potato growers are largely dependent on the British. Exact figures for Northern Ireland are not available, but it is known that around 6.000 tonnes of seed potatoes go from the UK to Ireland every year. About 60% of the certified seed material that Irish growers plant comes from Scotland. According to Jim Allister of the Northern Irish political party TUV, an 'absurd and destructive situation' is emerging now that Great Britain has become a so-called third country, reports FarmingLife.
Northern Ireland has been given a separate status in the Brexit process. To prevent a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland is still part of the European internal market. For the Northern Irish, this means the same trade barriers with Great Britain as the EU has.
Possibly more seed potatoes from the Netherlands
It may offer opportunities for Dutch seed potato trading companies to fill the gap that is emerging in Ireland. The export of seed potatoes to Ireland was negligible last year. The area of seed potatoes in Ireland has shrunk in recent years. The Irish grew almost 2020 hectares of seed potatoes in 230. The country would like to expand cultivation and is looking to the Netherlands, Germany, France and Poland, among others, to import seed potatoes and fill the gap with Great Britain.