New facilities spell extended potato season for Puffin (From Western Telegraph)

New facilities spell extended potato season for Puffin

A £500,000 cold store capable of holding up to 2,000 tonnes of potatoes is to be built at Puffin Produce, Haverfordwest.

The development, 40% grant-funded from Objective One cash, was revealed by the co-operatives managing director at the NFU annual Pembrokeshire Potato Conference on Friday.

Peter Cox says the project, including an extension to the packing facility, is expected to be completed by December. This development is helping our industry, it is good all round, he said.

Mr Cox describes it as progressive, enabling Puffin to extend its season as the sole supplier of Welsh new potatoes to supermarket giant, Tesco. It could also mean full-time employment for staff currently employed on a seasonal basis.

Up to 6,000 tonnes of Pembrokeshire potatoes are sold through 37 Tesco stores in Wales. Puffin also supplies Asda.

Potato producers from across Pembrokeshire gathered at Lammaston Farm, Pembroke, for Fridays conference in a week when the new season crop was earning them a healthy £400 a tonne compared to the £240 Cornish farmers were accepting.

But Graham Nichol, chairman of the NFU Potato Committee, has concerns that a difficult season could lay ahead. The new season has started early and there are still quite a few main crop potatoes hanging around, he says. Last year was an ideal lifting season and a lot more potatoes went into store. But is too early to forecast how the season will develop.

Yields in Pembrokeshire have been disappointing. Producer David John, who hosted the conference, says growth was checked earlier this month by wind and salt damage. But he is optimistic. If the weather settles down there is no reason why the crop cant bulk up.

There has been a big uptake by the supermarkets, says Pete Cox, and Puffin has been buying from non-members in addition to its members. Prizes for the best of the Pembrokeshire crop were awarded during Fridays conference.