[Iain MacIlleathain – Preseantair] Bidh Calum air ais leis a h-uile càil tha sin an-ceartuair. Nis, am buntàta air an robh mi a-mach. Tha uimhir dhiubh air a’ mhargaidh an-dràsta tha e coltach, ‘s gu bheil prìsean air an son air tuiteam gu mòr. Bha Comhairle a’ Bhuntàta a’ coinneachadh ann an Dùn Èideann an-diugh, feuch slighe air adhart aontachadh airson a’ ghnìomhachais. Thathas ag ràdh gur e cho fàbharach ‘s a tha t-sìde air a bhith bho chionn dà bhliadhna bu choireach gu bheil uimhir ann. Seo Dòmhnall MacLaomain.
[Dòmhnall MacLaomain – Neach-aithris] Cha shaoileadh tu gum biodh leithid a rud ann ri bliadhna ro shoirbheachail do thuathanaich. Ach bha an t-sìde cho fàbharach airson fàs an-uiridh ‘s gu bheil a-nis fada cus buntàta air a’ mhargaidh, a’ ciallachadh gu bheil prìsean a’ tuiteam gu eadar £20 agus £25 airson tunna. Tha sin an coimeas ris an £3millean san acair tha e a’ cosg airson buntàta a chur.
[Raibeart Dòmhnallach] Tha e caran air a bhith ag èirigh o chionn dà bhliadhna air ais, bha barrachd bhuntàta ann ‘s a ghabhadh ithe agus chaidh sin a-staigh dhan an-uiridh agus thèid sin a-staigh dhan bhliadhna seo cuideachd agus tha cus bhuntàta anns an Rìoghachd agus chan eil daoine ag ithe uimhir a bhuntàta ‘s a b’ àbhaist dhaibh. Tha iad air a dhol gu rice ‘s pasta ‘s pizza agus a h-uile gnothach mar sin agus chan eil uimhir a bhuntàta air an ithe ‘s tha sin a’ fàgail an glut a th’ann cuideachd.
Dòmhnall MacLaomain – Neach-aithris] Ach dè ‘s urrainn a dhèanamh? Uill tha Comhairle a’ Bhuntàta a’ coinneachadh ann an Dùn Èideann an-diugh. Am measg nam molaidhean airson cùisean a leasachadh, tha iomairt airson sealltainn cho fallain ‘s a tha buntàta agus feuchainn ri atharrachadh beachd - smuain ùr a tha air nochdadh gu bheil cus bhuntàta dona dhut.
[Raibeart Dòmhnallach] A’ chiad rud a chuidicheadh, dh’ fhaodadh tuathanaich iad fhèin a chuideachadh air nas lugha bhuntàta a chur dhan talamh agus chuidicheadh sin gnothach anns a’ chiad àite. B' àbhaist ‘Potato Marketing Board’ a bhith ann agus ann am bliadhnaichean mar seo, thigeadh iadsan a-staigh agus cheannaicheadh iad am buntàta agus bheireadh iad dhan mhargaid e agus bhiodh e air a bhiathadh don chrodh agus na caoraich air fad aig prìs shaor.
[Dòmhnall MacLaomain – Neach-aithris] Tha suidheachadh a’ bhuntàta a’ togail coimeasan le suidheachadh a’ bhainne san dùthaich sa, le prìsean a’ tuiteam gu ìre ‘s nach b’ fhiach do thuathanaich cumail a’ dol. Ach tha Comhairle a’ Bhuntàta an dòchas gum bi taic gu leòr ann do thuathanaich is gun tig piseach air a’ ghnìomhachas dheatamach seo a dh’aithghearr. Dòmhnall MacLaomain, BBC an Là.
[Iain MacLean – Presenter] Calum will be back with all that shortly. Now, the potatoes I was talking about. It would seem there’s so many of them on the market now that the prices have dropped greatly. The Potato Council were meeting in Edinburgh today to come to a decision as to how the industry should move forward. They say the mild weather over the past two years is to blame for the excess. Here’s Donald Lamont.
[Donald Lamont – Reporter] You wouldn’t think there would be such a thing for farmers as too successful a year. But the weather was so favourable for growth last year that there is now far too many potatoes on the market, meaning prices have dropped to between £20 and £25 for a tonne. That’s in comparison to £3 million per acre it costs to plant potatoes.
[Robert MacDonald] For two years it’s been rising, there were more potatoes than were being consumed and that carried on into last year and will spill over into this year too and there are too many potatoes in the country and not enough people eating as much as they used to. They’ve moved to rice and pasta and pizza and things like that and not as many potatoes are being eaten which is causing this glut.
[Donald Lamont – Reporter] But what can be done? Well the Potato Council are meeting in Edinburgh today. Amongst the recommendations for development, a scheme to show how healthy potatoes are to change the new perception that too many potatoes are bad for you.
[Robert MacDonald] The first thing that would help, farmers themselves could plant less potatoes. There used to be a ‘Potato Marketing Board’ and in years such as this they would come and buy the surplus, take it to market and feed it to the cattle and sheep, all at a low cost.
[Donald Lamont – Reporter] The state of affairs is comparative to the milk situation in this country, with prices dropping to a level where farmers can no longer continue. But the Potato Council hope there will be plenty support for farmers and that this crucial industry will improve soon. Donald Lamont, BBC An Là.
[Iain MacIlleathain – Preseantair] Bidh Calum air ais leis a h-uile càil tha sin an-ceartuair. Nis, am buntàta air an robh mi a-mach. Tha uimhir dhiubh air a’ mhargaidh an-dràsta tha e coltach, ‘s gu bheil prìsean air an son air tuiteam gu mòr. Bha Comhairle a’ Bhuntàta a’ coinneachadh ann an Dùn Èideann an-diugh, feuch slighe air adhart aontachadh airson a’ ghnìomhachais. Thathas ag ràdh gur e cho fàbharach ‘s a tha t-sìde air a bhith bho chionn dà bhliadhna bu choireach gu bheil uimhir ann. Seo Dòmhnall MacLaomain.
[Dòmhnall MacLaomain – Neach-aithris] Cha shaoileadh tu gum biodh leithid a rud ann ri bliadhna ro shoirbheachail do thuathanaich. Ach bha an t-sìde cho fàbharach airson fàs an-uiridh ‘s gu bheil a-nis fada cus buntàta air a’ mhargaidh, a’ ciallachadh gu bheil prìsean a’ tuiteam gu eadar £20 agus £25 airson tunna. Tha sin an coimeas ris an £3millean san acair tha e a’ cosg airson buntàta a chur.
[Raibeart Dòmhnallach] Tha e caran air a bhith ag èirigh o chionn dà bhliadhna air ais, bha barrachd bhuntàta ann ‘s a ghabhadh ithe agus chaidh sin a-staigh dhan an-uiridh agus thèid sin a-staigh dhan bhliadhna seo cuideachd agus tha cus bhuntàta anns an Rìoghachd agus chan eil daoine ag ithe uimhir a bhuntàta ‘s a b’ àbhaist dhaibh. Tha iad air a dhol gu rice ‘s pasta ‘s pizza agus a h-uile gnothach mar sin agus chan eil uimhir a bhuntàta air an ithe ‘s tha sin a’ fàgail an glut a th’ann cuideachd.
Dòmhnall MacLaomain – Neach-aithris] Ach dè ‘s urrainn a dhèanamh? Uill tha Comhairle a’ Bhuntàta a’ coinneachadh ann an Dùn Èideann an-diugh. Am measg nam molaidhean airson cùisean a leasachadh, tha iomairt airson sealltainn cho fallain ‘s a tha buntàta agus feuchainn ri atharrachadh beachd - smuain ùr a tha air nochdadh gu bheil cus bhuntàta dona dhut.
[Raibeart Dòmhnallach] A’ chiad rud a chuidicheadh, dh’ fhaodadh tuathanaich iad fhèin a chuideachadh air nas lugha bhuntàta a chur dhan talamh agus chuidicheadh sin gnothach anns a’ chiad àite. B' àbhaist ‘Potato Marketing Board’ a bhith ann agus ann am bliadhnaichean mar seo, thigeadh iadsan a-staigh agus cheannaicheadh iad am buntàta agus bheireadh iad dhan mhargaid e agus bhiodh e air a bhiathadh don chrodh agus na caoraich air fad aig prìs shaor.
[Dòmhnall MacLaomain – Neach-aithris] Tha suidheachadh a’ bhuntàta a’ togail coimeasan le suidheachadh a’ bhainne san dùthaich sa, le prìsean a’ tuiteam gu ìre ‘s nach b’ fhiach do thuathanaich cumail a’ dol. Ach tha Comhairle a’ Bhuntàta an dòchas gum bi taic gu leòr ann do thuathanaich is gun tig piseach air a’ ghnìomhachas dheatamach seo a dh’aithghearr. Dòmhnall MacLaomain, BBC an Là.
[Iain MacLean – Presenter] Calum will be back with all that shortly. Now, the potatoes I was talking about. It would seem there’s so many of them on the market now that the prices have dropped greatly. The Potato Council were meeting in Edinburgh today to come to a decision as to how the industry should move forward. They say the mild weather over the past two years is to blame for the excess. Here’s Donald Lamont.
[Donald Lamont – Reporter] You wouldn’t think there would be such a thing for farmers as too successful a year. But the weather was so favourable for growth last year that there is now far too many potatoes on the market, meaning prices have dropped to between £20 and £25 for a tonne. That’s in comparison to £3 million per acre it costs to plant potatoes.
[Robert MacDonald] For two years it’s been rising, there were more potatoes than were being consumed and that carried on into last year and will spill over into this year too and there are too many potatoes in the country and not enough people eating as much as they used to. They’ve moved to rice and pasta and pizza and things like that and not as many potatoes are being eaten which is causing this glut.
[Donald Lamont – Reporter] But what can be done? Well the Potato Council are meeting in Edinburgh today. Amongst the recommendations for development, a scheme to show how healthy potatoes are to change the new perception that too many potatoes are bad for you.
[Robert MacDonald] The first thing that would help, farmers themselves could plant less potatoes. There used to be a ‘Potato Marketing Board’ and in years such as this they would come and buy the surplus, take it to market and feed it to the cattle and sheep, all at a low cost.
[Donald Lamont – Reporter] The state of affairs is comparative to the milk situation in this country, with prices dropping to a level where farmers can no longer continue. But the Potato Council hope there will be plenty support for farmers and that this crucial industry will improve soon. Donald Lamont, BBC An Là.