Potato News from Australia

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

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.

A new study of 741 consumers released by the Australian vegetable industry today reveals almost one third of consumers have shown significant interest in buying more Asian vegetables.

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.

McCain Foods has announced it will close its potato processing factory in Penola, South Australia.

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.

Supermarket chain Woolworths has released a report focused on the changes in the spending pattern of their Australian Shoppers over the past 25 years. The report also highlights the dramatic change in the position of the potato in that shopping cart.

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.

AUSVEG, the National Peak Industry Body for Australian vegetable and potato growers, has welcomed the Prime Minister's acknowledgement of the importance of investment in agribusiness as part of his announcement of an election to be held on 7 September.

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.

Food processor Simplot Australia has rejected the Star system for labelling healthy and unhealthy food.

The State Government of South Australia has awarded AU$43,500 to the Potato Industry for initiatives to make sure workers have skills to meet increasing production demands.

A multi-year research project, undertaken for the Australian potato industry, will come to fruition this month, with the launch of the project’s cutting-edge DNA soil testing service, which will help the industry to curb the impact of soil-borne diseases.

Several Tasmanian potato growers whose contracts were cancelled by McCain last year have rejected new contract offers from the company.

McCain Foods is bringing its new branding to Australia. The new branding, developed by brand agency BrandOpus, was first introduced in the United Kingdom and marked the first complete overhaul of the McCain logo in more than 50 years.