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The grower at Woodbridge Farm, Suffolk, gave the press a taste of what’s involved in growing and harvesting potatoes and nurturing them from field to fork.

Foskett is one of 615 potato growers in the east of England and supplies major supermarkets.

The media junket was part of the Potato Council’s Love Potatoes campaign to highlight the crop to British consumers and encourage young families to eat more.

Research by the council has shown older generations are driving growth in sales, but young families are failing to buy potatoes in such large numbers.

Foskett said: “We must encourage young mums to eat more potatoes or the long-term implications for the industry could be significant.

“Highlighting the work we do growing and harvesting potatoes is a way of doing this. As well as being a vital part of the economy, potatoes are good value.”

Reminding delegates that the UN predicts the world population will rise from six to nine billion people by 2050, Raymond said that potatoes “are an extremely good value food source, highly nutritious, an important source of carbohydrates and they will have a major role to play in feeding the world”.

Raymond grows 80ha of potatoes, packed and processed through Puffin Produce for ASDA. He added: “The challenge to produce the future global food requirement, while lowering the environmental footprint, is huge.

“Climatic change and reduced water availability will restrict many growing areas. But Britain, with its temperate climate, will be well placed to increase production.”

In the afternoon, delegates heard that manure applications could be worth a staggering £450 per hectare at current fertiliser prices. According to ADAS consultant Ken Smith, growers should not skimp on nutrients but should adopt an integrated approach, making optimum use of available manures and nutrient alternatives, to feed a profitable crop.

“In the rotation it is usually the potato crop that is most responsive to phosphate (P) and potash (K) levels, so make sure these nutrients are not limiting,” said Smith.

A 40t/ha application of farmyard manure (FYM) will typically provide 320kg/ha of potash and 140kg/ha of phosphate.

“But manure P availability is limited, at least in the short term, so it is worth topping up with fresh fertiliser P, even though P off-take for potatoes is a relatively modest 50kg/ha for a 50t/ha crop.”

Fertiliser inputs represent the biggest single-cost component for maincrop production, at around 18 per cent of total costs, so merit careful planning. Regular soil analysis, especially before a potato crop, is crucial to ensure nutrients are neither limiting nor wasted.

The event took place earlier this month at Chasepool Farm, near Dudley, West Midlands, and was sponsored by McCain Foods, Greenvale AP and the NFU.

- For details of other events visit the Potato Council website www.potato.org.uk/events