Potato News from Oceania

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.

During a quarantine survey on Norfolk Island, a small island between New Zealand and Australia, both the tomato-potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli) as well as the zebra chip causing bacterium Ca. Liberibacter solanacearum (Lso) have been detected.

Tony Galati, owner of the West Australian Produce Chain 'Spud Shed', wants to add up to four extra stores to his existing Spud Shed network over the next few years and is working on opening up export markets for Western Australia potatoes.

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.

Almost 70 new varieties of potato and sweet potato will soon be available to Pacific Island countries and territories, to improve food security across the region.

Potatoes continue to be seen as an important staple for Australians according to the latest wave of the Potato Tracker project, with survey respondents indicating that they consume the commodity an average of 14 times per month.

A shopper has been horrified to find a snake curled up in a sealed bag of potatoes bought from Woolworths.

AUSVEG has welcomed the signing of a work and holiday Memorandum of Understanding between the Australian and Vietnamese governments, which could assist Australian vegetable and potato growers fill labour shortages during peak harvesting times.

Potato farmers in south-east Victoria (Australia) are missing out on profits as potatoes lie in paddocks, waiting for demand to pick up so they can be harvested.

Experts from TOMRA Sorting Food will be on hand at AUSPACK 2015 to advise visitors about the organisation's wide range of state-of-the-art sensor-based sorting and peeling systems.

AUSVEG remains wholly unconvinced of the benefits of a grower-funded generic potato marketing campaign despite claims from the Potato Marketing Corporation of Western Australia that the initiative has been a success in that state.

Potato growers in Western Australia have invested heavily in a potato marketing program aimed at stopping the decline in consumption per capita of fresh potatoes.

After a 10-year drought, well above average rainfall in New South Wales (Australia) means a rich seed potato crop for the few farmers left in the Crookwell area.

Australian families are playing an increasing role in consumer decisions to buy potatoes, according to the latest data from the Potato Tracker project.

Western Australian potatoes will soon be available around the country with just the push of a button, as Australia's first hot chip vending machines (French Fries) are rolled out.

Timaru's Heartland Potato Chips is benefiting from the nationwide potato shortage in New Zealand.

In South Australia, McCain has sold its former potato processing factory at Penola to a meat processor, to the dismay of some local growers.

Wyma is proud to present a Vege-Polisher that is smarter, easier to maintain and more hygienic than ever before.