Potato thieves taking risk with health (From Western Telegraph)

Potato thieves taking risk with health

Thieves targeting Pembrokeshire's potato crop could be putting their health at risk. The warning comes as farmers report a series of thefts from fields in the Pembroke Dock area.

Potatoes, particularly varieties grown for seed, are treated with insecticide to control attack from aphids.

These sprays have strict withdrawal periods governing the gap which must be left between application and consumption.

Other varieties may be sprayed with fungicides to control blight, which have a withdrawal period of ten days.

Police investigating the thefts said the sprays render these potatoes inedible until the withdrawal period has ended.

Although theft from fields is now not as widespread, it is still a problem for growers, said Walter Simon, a grower representative on the British Potato Council. His crops in South Pembrokeshire have been targeted in the past.

Mr Simon said thieves would not know when the potatoes were safe to eat. "There are strict safeguards in place to protect the consumer, which is why potatoes are not harvested before recommended time limits,"

Lifting of the Pembrokeshire new potato crop is well advanced, but returns have been disappointing despite excellent growing conditions and a smaller crop.

The British Potato Council's first estimate of total plantings for the 2003 crop year for the whole of Britain is 120,100 hectares, down 13.4% on last year's figure.

The 2003 crop was planted early this spring under mainly good weather conditions and into excellent seedbeds. Development is up to three weeks ahead of the 2002 crop. Early crops are showing excellent quality with yields in most regions around one tonne a hectare higher than last year.