News on The Potato Supply Chain from Oceania

Potatoes South Australia Incorporated, the peak industry body for the potato industry value chain, has been awarded funding of AU$409,800 (excl GST) through the Federal Department of Agriculture’s National Landcare Innovation Grants for a two year project which will help develop a more reliable soil Phosphorus test.

The mighty potato has pushed out tomatoes to take the title of New Zealand’s number one favourite vegetable.

Simplot processing potato farmers in Tasmania have accepted a $10 per tonne price cut for crops deliverable in 2014.

Owners of an old carpet factory in Devonport (Tasmania) have held informal talks with the Devonport City Council about a conversion to a potato processing factory.

South Australian Potato producers have called for fair freight arrangements following the closure of McCain Foods' Penola plant.

While the potato industry is still waiting for clearance to be allowed to send fresh potatoes to Australia, a new market is rapidly opening up. The industry has high hopes for a new market in Vietnam.

Australian minister for the Environment, the Hon. Greg Hunt MP, has launched the new EnviroVeg smartphone app for farmers, to help them manage their land sustainably.

Today’s reports that Simplot’s two vegetable processing plants at Bathurst and Devonport will remain open for at least another three years has been welcomed by peak industry body, AUSVEG.

The South Australian New Season Baby Potatoes Auction will be held at an Industry Dinner on Friday 1 November 2013. This annual auction is organised by Potatoes South Australia Inc.

Farmer Terry Buckley says he is sad to see the local Penola plant close, but he hopes the Ballarat plant might save the Australian potato processing industry, which is being outpriced by cheaper imports.

New research has been funded through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, to help the potato industry reduce issues caused by an insect intruder – the tomato-potato psyllid.

La investigación que adelanta la Universidad de Canterbury sobre papas libres de cadmio podría ayudar a eliminar otra posible amenaza a la seguridad alimentaria.

The Potato Marketing Corporation of Western Australia has started a campaign to increase the consumption of fresh potatoes.

Victorian potato growers will face fewer quarantine restrictions when selling their potatoes interstate.

More details have come out in the sale of Mr Chips by Simplot to New Zealand's Balle Bros, first reported by PotatoPro on August 18.

Simplot Australia has announced that it entered into a conditional agreement to sell its shareholding in its New Zealand-based potato manufacturing and distribution business, Simplot Mr Chips Limited, to the Auckland based Balle Bros Group Limited.

A recent study by Roy Morgan Research shows that potato chips are still Australia’s most popular snack food, with a third of Australians aged 14+ in the year to March 2013 buying the product in an average four-week period.

Third generation farmer Andrew Combes is the only commercial potato grower south of Hobart (Tasmania, Australia). What's more, the 36-year-old is the new Rabobank Simplot Young Potato Grower of the year.