Northern Ireland processors have been accused of threatening to bring potatoes from England if local growers do not accept lower prices.
Growers have been offered very poor prices, hoping to panic growers, one grower said.
Mourne Councillor William Burns said a lot of the major processors had received European Union grants to build large cold storages. "Maybe, just maybe, it suits them to talk the price down now so as to get these large cold stores filled. It is great pity that the Northern Ireland processors are not sticking by local growers."
Burns said growers have no control over marketing and that to stay in business there will have to be major changes made in the marketing structure.
With yields down significantly in the European Union, Irish growers can breath a little easier knowing they won't be hit by cheaper imports from Europe.