Northern Irish potato growers are suffering as crops are 'severely damaged' in flooded fields. Days of heavy rain have left farms sodden and made lifting potatoes near impossible in many cases. Counties Down, Armagh, and Antrim look to be the worst hit areas.

The Ulster Farmers Union has been visiting affected farms to see for themselves the impact the recent wet weather is having on businesses in the country.

UFU president David Brown said, “Over the weekend the UFU visited potato farmers who lost a significant amount of crop due to the wet weather. The quality of produce that did survive the heavy rainfall was also severely impacted. Many veg farmers across Northern Ireland are in a similar situation with carrots, parsnips, and brussel sprouts.

“This is a major blow for our growers who have put a huge amount of investment into producing a premium crop and are now trying to salvage what remains.

“We are currently engaging with local politicians to help raise awareness of the difficult situation our growers are currently facing.”

Farmers in the country have experienced one of the driest early springs on record, followed by a record wet March and July. Potato crops sat in water for 24 hours are starting to rot with many crops turning green or to mush.