Jersey Royal potato crop 'delayed by cold weather'

Jersey's potato crop will be delayed this year because of the poor weather.

William Church, sales and marketing director of the Jersey Royal Company, said the cold and wet winter had meant delays to planting.

He said farmers would normally have planted their potato crops in January but had been unable to do so.

Harvesting normally begins in April, but Mr Church said he thought most potatoes would not now be lifted until May.

He said the current crops looked healthy but some warmth was badly needed to allow some growth.

Some Jersey Royals are already in the shops but they have been grown indoors, while the majority are grown outdoors.

Other crops have also been affected.

JP Blake, of Le Chasse nursery, said tomato production had been more costly - with more oil needed to provide the necessary warmth for growth - and the weather had stopped people buying the fruit.

Dan de Carteret at La Mare Vineyards said the unusually cold weather, while delaying the likely harvesting time for grapes and apples, would probably keep diseases at bay.