Potato News from Oceania

Ballarat region potato growers and McCain Foods have reached an agreement a short time ago, offering growers about $305 a tonne for their potatoes. The Ballarat McCain Growers Group met with the company this afternoon for further negotiations.

Determined potato growers in Ballarat will take their protest to the next level after five hours of talks with McCain Foods senior management failed to reach a solution.

Potato growers are using 50 tractors to protest outside the McCain factory at Ballarat, in central Victoria, over contract negotiations.

The impact of January's Queensland floods has continued, wiping out demand for Victorian potatoes.

McCain Foods Australia is being urged to follow the lead of Simplot Australia by increasing potato prices for Ballarat growers.

Two hundred potato growers who supply Simplot Australia's Ulverstone factory have negotiated a $20 a tonne price increase.

Australian French Fries (or should we say hot chips?) could be in short supply this year after floods devastated potato-growing regions in four states.

The Commerce Commission has reduced the price of Potatoes and Onions effective from last Friday.

New Zealand potato growers have gained access to export potatoes to South Korea, after years of negotiations.

The New Zealand Prime Minister John Key will officially open the NZ $19 million upgrade to McCain Foods plant Friday, February 18

Since its launch last year, consumers have bought more than 1,000 tonnes of Carisma, Australia’s first officially certified low GI potato.

A formation meeting has been called to establish a new peak organisation for the South Australian potato industry.

Potato farmers near Koo Wee Rup, south-east of Melbourne, say their crops have been wiped out by the flooding on the weekend.

Niche varieties and customer service are the keys to making a profit.

AUSVEG Chairman John Brent today said that vegetable growers in Queensland had been hit hard by the recent floods and long term Federal Government assistance was now needed for many to survive the winter growing season.

The damage bill from flooding on Tasmanian farms is expected to run into millions of dollars.

AUSVEG CEO Richard Mulcahy today said that despite recent media reports to the contrary, there is no need for Australia to import more vegetables due the flood crisis in Queensland.

Potato yields in Southland, New Zealand, could be down next year if the crops do not get some much-needed rain, even after the past few days of wet weather.