Potato News from Oceania

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.