Unseasonable mild weather allowed Irish growers to harvest all this year's crop-something they could not do last year when 100,000 tons were left in the ground.
Irish Farmers' Association national potato marketing coordinator Malachy Mitchell said while growers are relieved to have the harvest saved, market demand has been lackluster over most of the last two months.
He estimated current stocks to be below last season and overall main-crop clearance at about 35 percent. He said this is positive for this time of year.
Growers could expect a strong interest in the lead up to Christmas and this to continue over January and February, especially if the weather returns to normal seasonal conditions for that time of year.
More stable retail prices should start building and contribute to better trading conditions for growers, he said.