The Ulster Farmers’ Union have attended the very successful 2014 National Potato Conference in Dublin this week, which looked at the overall theme of ‘Addressing Market Challenges’ within the Potato Industry. The Conference organised by the Irish Farmers’ Association and Teagasc in association with Bord Bia invited key speakers from the UK and Ireland to share their knowledge and experience of the potato industry with all that attended. The morning session focused on Consumer Trends and Market Development with presentations including: an update on the Irish Potato Market; key consumer trends and attitudes to potatoes; the Potato Council Market Strategy and the potato peeling market and trends in Ireland. The afternoon session concentrated on the research aspect with presentations on the Why and What of the GM Potato ‘AMIGA Study’ and a presentation from ADAS, which looked at managing potatoes, minimising compaction and optimising N supply using green manures.
