Poots announces details of £2million Covid-19 support scheme for potato growers
Date published:
Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots MLA has provided further information on the £2million financial support package for potato growers following a meeting with representatives of the UFU Potato Committee.
This financial support is in response to the significant reduction in demand from the hospitality and food service sector for processing potatoes in the past six months due to Covid-19 lockdown measures.
Minister Poots said: “Growers who still have quantities of unsold potatoes in their stores, which were destined for the potato processing supply chain, must complete an online Expression of Interest form to register for the scheme and request an inspection of all potatoes held in their stores.
“Following verification of potatoes in stores that are no longer of acceptable quality for the processing market, growers can dispose of them for animal feed or as raw material for anaerobic digesters. This will simplify the administrative process and reduce the amount of bureaucracy for growers.
“With the hospitality industry reopening, growers with good quality potatoes in cold stores may yet have an opportunity to sell their potatoes into the processing market. Final inspections of potatoes held in cold stores to verify quantities that are only suitable for stock feed will not take place until late July.
“This is the second year in succession these farmers have lost their market and this support will be a contribution towards the financial loss incurred and help sustain their businesses”, the Minister concluded.
Further details of the scheme and the Expression of Interest form are available on the DAERA website.
Notes to editors:
1. The 2020 Covid-19 Support Scheme issued payments of just over £1.2M to eligible growers.
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