PSI Bulletin: April 2025
Adrian Cunnington- Apr 16
- 8 min read
No. 04/25 OPEN EDITION
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Dear Reader,
Welcome to the April edition of Synopsis. This is one of our two annual 'open' editions so you have free access for one month only if you have yet to sign up for a subscription.
After a lengthy cold spell, the weather turned quite warm and settled for many over the past few weeks, so there has been considerable progress on planting (above) with many growers now hoping to complete the task in April... Perhaps too soon to be looking forward to an early harvest (and therefore easier storage) yet, though?!
This month's bulletin has more information on the forthcoming Strategic Potato Storage Event, which is open to all to attend for free.
See our Technical Insight section for more.
PSI activity
There's not quite so much to report this month as efforts have been focused on the Strategic Potato Storage Event and the activities of the CIPC Residue Monitoring Group which both feature below. I know I have emphasised the call for CIPC data regularly in this publication but, as soon as planting is done, we really need to get your information in please as we still need a lot more samples to meet our higher target of 125 samples for the 2024/25 season.
One other project that has just got underway is my planned re-write of the successor to the Potato Store Managers' Guide, which was first penned by Bob Pringle and me for the old British Potato Council way back in 2001. More details will follow, but I am hopeful that, with the help of some kind folk in the agricultural publishing world, there will be a brand new offering before the end of the year. Inevitably, in the current landscape of our industry, there will need to be some "commercial opportunities" linked into the new publication to support its production. If you have a potato storage business and this is potentially of interest, please drop me a line at adrian@potatostorageinsight.com.
AC
Best practice
At this stage of the season, one of the commonest challenges for store managers is how to manage part-filled stores. Whilst it can be appreciated that 'commercial pressures' place a lot of obstacles in the way of the intake teams for many packers and processors, it is often the grower or store manager who is left having to pick up the pieces of an aborted or half-finished unloading process.
Bulk stores are usually - assuming everything is still in good shape - the easiest to deal with. Most stores allow individual or groups of laterals to be closed off so that air can still be focused on the remaining crop to keep temperature under control. Sprout control can be a little trickier as any late treatments may have to be adjusted and the suppressant will be diluted to the tune of the amount that has been unloaded. But at least with the positive ventilation available the product can be targeted at the remaining crop. Always check the harvest interval between treatment and unloading if any late applications are being made to processing crops; it may be wise to select a treatment like mint oil or orange oil if you need flexibility for marketing.
Box stores are a bit more of a challenge unless you have positive ventilation available (such as a lateral suction system, eg 'Aspire', where you can proceed as above). Space-ventilated box stores which have been partly unloaded need to consider a few points:
Has unloading compromised the airflow? Are there short circuits? Have boxes been moved so that pallet slots are blocked? If any of these are true, try to reinstate some kind of circulation to force air through the box stacks.
Consider using empty boxes to block off short circuits. Air will always take the easiest route back to the fans adding to electricity costs and, with fridges, the need for defrosting.
If suppressants are still required, try to use the store fans on speed control to actively recirculate the air to minimise condensation risk and to get the chemical to the target.
This is particularly important if tonnage is significantly reduced as the chemical concentration in the air is likely to be diluted compared with treating a fully loaded store.
Technical insight
Plans are now progressing for our second grower-focused Potato Storage Day on Wednesday 21st May that PSI will be running in partnership with Simon Faulkner at SDF Agriculture.
The day is kindly being sponsored by Farm Electronics and UPL. Our venue is Fleet Lodge Farm at Holbeach in south Lincolnshire. It will be a free-to-attend session from 9.30am to early afternoon, with a light lunch provided for all attendees. Please book your place by emailing admin@potatostorageinsight.com so we know how many to cater for.
The event will start with a networking session and coffee with around 15 commercial stands expected for you to visit.
We will then go into a series of small group presentations, mainly using posters rather than Powerpoint. Speakers will include Simon and Adrian, plus our main sponsors and a number of guests, all with a storage focus, including Barbara Correira from B-Hive, Richard Colgan from Greenwich University and Guy Willetts from Assimilate Systems. The format will be an informal, workshop-style one with opportunities for questions in small groups or on a one-to-one basis afterwards.
In parallel, and at the end of the morning, there will be more time to visit exhibitors, to network or to grab a bite to eat.
Lunch will be a hog roast with vegetarian options also available.
Thank you to those who have already got in touch and booked in; your support is very much appreciated. If you are interested in coming along and have questions, please drop Adrian or Simon an email or give them a call:
Adrian Cunnington 07970 072260 adrian@potatostorageinsight.com
Simon Faulkner 07850 649719 simon@sdf-agriculture.co.uk
Please do remember to register by emailing admin@potatostorageinsight.com in advance so we know how many people to cater for.
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CIPC data call: please contribute
Just One Test is all the CIPC Residue Monitoring Group needs from each potato store previously treated at any time with CIPC. If you have such stores, where crops are held for at least two months in the 2024/25 season, please provide data from your regular multi-residue testing to allow this to be used as part of the CRMG submission to be submitted in August 2025. We require 125 samples for the next data call, so new contributors are always welcome.
If you can help, please contact adrian@potatostorageinsight.com and you will be sent a simple data form (or download it via the link) to return with a copy of your lab result sheet. It’s as simple as that - but a vital role potato store managers can play to assist our industry.
Further information is available on the CRMG webpage at:
Or call Adrian on 07970 072260.
McCain support package announced
In an effort to support its 250-strong network of UK potato growers who have faced increased financial pressures over the past year, frozen potato product manufacturer McCain has launched a new ongoing support package.
The firm claims the package equates to an additional £30 million investment over the next three years. As a major purchaser of the UK potato crop, McCain says it is keen to ensure the long-term sustainability and resilience of British potato growing, which it says is vital to the country’s food security.
McCain is already working with growers to help them transition to regenerative practices and ensure fair prices for their potatoes. A survey of arable farming decision makers commissioned by the company revealed that rising energy (35%) and fertiliser costs (32%), as well as environmental threats (36%), are having the biggest pressure on farmers’ finances, with half of growers saying this had prompted them to reconsider their future in growing.
The range of support initiatives from McCain will include:
Adjusting the price per tonne paid for potatoes to reflect the increasing risk of yield variation
Access to strategic capital support, providing a direct cash injection covering up to 33% of total investment into assets such as irrigation infrastructure and storage
Setting out a 20% advanced payment of contract value to help with cashflow and support the increased negative working capital growers are facing
Ensuring a fair and sustainable price for growers
James Young, Vice President, Agriculture at McCain Foods GB said: “British potato growers are facing a myriad unprecedented challenges from rising input costs to extreme weather events. At McCain, we pride ourselves on the strong partnerships we have built with our 250 growers and are committed to supporting them. We believe this package bolsters our ongoing collaboration with growers to help ensure the long-term sustainability of British agriculture.”
McCain is also working with growers to navigate extreme weather patterns, such as heavy rainfall, flooding and unseasonably mild temperatures, that are placing additional strain on farmers’ finances. Together with its growers, McCain has committed to implementing regenerative agricultural practices across 100% of its global potato acreage by the end of 2030.
The package has been welcomed by growers. Sam Daw of Staffordshire-based producers WB Daw & Son said his business’s partnership with McCain had helped provide “clear and positive impact” on direction and investment. “The new package has rejuvenated confidence in the sector, reshaped our cashflow and allowed for investment and growth planning,” he said, adding: “The commitment to regenerative agriculture complements our other farming enterprises. Incorporating manures from our livestock, keeping green cover over fields for longer with cover crops and utilising reduced soil movement cultivation equipment across a wider range of crops – the farm’s relationship with McCain is so much more than a potato crop.”
Snippets
Potato Pro online magazine reports...
...that ethylene provide BioFresh Safestore UK will be offering a 10% discount on any store survey booked at the forthcoming Strategic Potato Storage Day. The initiative is to celebrate 21 years of helping growers achieve the best conditions for storing their produce, according to BioFresh MD Jeremy Barraclough.
New man in post at HK
Jonathan Brown has joined Gainsborough-based box makers HK Timbers as their new UK Sales Manager. He can be contacted at jonathanbrown@hktimbers.com or visit the HK stand at the Strategic Potato Storage Day at Holbeach on May 21.
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