'I have tonnes of potatoes, why does no-one want them?'

It is a staple part of many people's diets, but one Cambridgeshire farmer said he had been left with tonnes of potatoes that no-one seems to want.

Luke Ablett, 36, runs a 400-acre Cambridgeshire County Council-owned farm in Ramsey St Mary's and said he had never known a year like it, with the market "grinding to a halt".

Mr Ablett said it was common for growers to hold back on stocks of potatoes from last season's crop, but it was the first time he had more than 13 tonnes unsold.

Matthew Grindling, from the Isle of Ely Produce Limited, added that there had also been a notable decline in demand from the fish and chip sector.

Mr Ablett said he has had sleepless nights, worrying about his unsold potato stock.

"The market for potatoes seems to have come to an absolute halt, and no-one seems to know why - it's a mystery, it's like someone has put the brake on the industry," he said.

He added that orders were not too bad earlier in the year, but now sales had "slowly dropped right off".

"It's not just me," said Mr Ablett.

"I have spoken to other local growers in Cambridgeshire, some of whom have told me they have a few hundred tonnes of potatoes in stock, with others having up to 1,000 tonnes".

He said high stock numbers for him were very unusual, and the new crop of potatoes would be harvested in the next few weeks.

"When I lay in bed at night, it does play on my mind that a crop I have invested time, effort and money into might end up being put back on the land because demand has gone - I really hope that doesn't happen," he added.

The Isle of Ely Produce Limited said it grew up to 10,000 tonnes of potatoes every year.

Mr Grindling said: "Many farmers took a significant gamble this year, storing potatoes much later than usual in the hope of securing higher prices.

"Unfortunately, this has often meant storing potatoes in conditions that aren't ideal for long-term keeping, leading to a decline in quality."

He added that the decline in demand from the fish and chip sector followed an increase in cost for raw materials such as potatoes, fish and oil.

Andrew Crook, the president of the National Federation of Fish Friers, said: "We are in a situation currently where the price we need to sell fish and chips for needs to increase just as consumers have less money in their pockets, so we are seeing a fall in demand."

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