News on Industry Associations from Oceania

The countdown to the World Potato Congress 2024 has begun and the excitement is building. The team is working hard behind the scenes to ensure the 2024 Congress is one to remember, with a number of exciting announcements.

Six months into the Potatoes New Zealand chief executive role and Kate Trufitt has embraced the challenges and opportunities with enthusiasm.

Australian vegetable and potato industry body AUSVEG has announced the appointment of Michael Coote as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective 1 July 2021.

Potatoes New Zealand became the 14th partner organisation to join the Government Industry Agreement for Biosecurity Readiness and Response.

Leading Australian vegetable industry body AUSVEG has announced the appointment of James Whiteside as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective Friday 9 December 2016.

New South Wales potato grower Geoff Moar has been re-elected to the position of AUSVEG Chair and Queensland vegetable grower Belinda Adams has been elected to the position of AUSVEG Deputy Chair following a Board meeting held on Thursday 24 November in Sydney.

According to a Deloitte spokesman South Australian fresh produce company the Mitolo Group had taken control of all South Australian-owned farms of bankrupt Oakville Produce, as well as packaging businesses in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney - as of September 23.

Western Australia's Parliament has cleared the way for full deregulation of the state's potato industry, passing legislation to abolish the controversial Potato Marketing Corporation (PMC).

Potatoes Victoria is being launched today to replace the previous Victorian Potato Growers Council. A division of the Victorian Farmers Federation, Potatoes Victoria has been representing Victorian potato growers for more than 20 years.

Potato growers say the West Australian industry has 'collapsed' amid speculation over the timeline for deregulation.

Fresh potatoes from New Zealand have been approved for export to Vietnam, providing a new export opportunity for growers.

Consumer research in Australia, Potato Tracker, has shown that Australian consumers prefer to purchase pre-packaged potatoes, with one to two kilogram packages as the ideal sizes.

Potatoes New Zealand chief executive Champak Mehta says the industry now has the potato psyllid well under control thanks to the knowledge gained through research.

It appears that many Australians don’t know their King Edwards from their Kennebecs, with the latest wave of the Potato Tracker consumer research project indicating that some people can’t name a single variety of potato, despite being the most commonly purchased vegetable commodity.

A Tasmanian potato grower - known for her innovative use of the vegetable - has been announced as a keynote speaker at this year's National Horticulture Convention in Queensland, later this month.

The Premier of Western Australia, Colin Bartlett, reportedly told The West Australian that it was time for rules that dictated the varieties, quantities and price of potatoes grown in Western Australia - and the Potato Marketing Corporation - to go.

Potatoes New Zealand Inc. has won funding from the Ministry of Primary Industries for a major research project aimed at improving crop yield, more specifically, the impact of crop rotations on soil borne diseases and soil quality.

The Potato Marketing Corporation of Western Australia has announced plans to take legal action against Galati, who owns a chain of grocery stores called the Spudshed as well as being one of the state’s largest growers.