News On French Fries and Potato Specialties from Australia

A taste of Bundaberg will be served around the country as Sweet Potatoes Australia partners with Edgell to launch their new Sweet Potato Fries .

A storage facility capable of storing 11,000 tonnes of potatoes has opened in Burnie, Tasmania. The facility, which can hold 9,000 tonnes in cold-storage long term as well as a further 2,000 tonnes in short term storage, is run by McCain.

In Tasmania, Australia, McCain Foods has completed the upgrade of its Smithton plant. The capital invest included an expansion on its retail production and the installation of a new fryer and batter applicator.

In the race to decarbonise the economy, industrial processing is a tough nut to crack given the amount of heat needed to process goods.

Tasmanian potato growers, who produce the bulk of Australia’s French fries, are having a disastrous harvest. Months of wet weather is making it impossible to get onto paddocks in parts of the state.

Adelaide, South Australia has been named as the host city for the 2023 World Potato Congress (WPC), the first time this event has been held in Australia. The announcement was made during Potatoes South Australia’s Annual Industry Dinner and Auction.

A long-awaited price increase has come for the state's McCain potato growers. Grower Beau Gooch said the $33 per tonne increase would help put profitability back in the paddock.

More than 80 potato growers in Tasmania, Australia felt a sense of relief when receiving Simplot's second offer for their processing potatoes, says Nathan Richardson, chairperson of the Tasmanian Farmers & Graziers Association (TFGA) Vegetable Council.

Tasmanian potato growers say Simplot is not paying them enough for their vegetables, as they negotiate a new contract with the vegetable processing giant.

Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Ready Meals Pty Ltd (Ready Meals), a frozen potato processor in Australia.

McCain has launched a range of craft beer battered chips via a new campaign from Cummins&Partners that "challenges the norm" of online advertising with a long and complex audio clip.

McCain Foods is to spend AUD 37 million (USD 26 million) to upgrade its french fry plant in Smithton, Tasmania (Australia).

Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. announced today that it has acquired Marvel Packers Pty Ltd , a frozen potato processor in Australia. Marvel operates frozen potato processing and storage facilities (for frozen product) in Hallam, Victoria.

In response to the steadily growing popularity of sweet potato in Australia, McCain Foods is introducing new sweet potato products to the freezer aisle.

A Northern Tasmanian farmer has lashed out at McCain over contract potato pricing, as Australian consumer watchdog ACCC begins an investigation into the potato processor.

With the new Shake Shake range McCain Foods Australia takes hot potato chips from the side of the plate to the centre of attention.

West Australia’s struggling potato industry is poised for recovery after the State Government chipped in nearly $750,000 (USD 580,000) towards expanding processing and exports.

As a result of the upgrade and capacity expansion of the McCain Foods French fry factory in Ballarat, the level of automation will increase. This means the company will have to lay off about 20 of their employees.