Potato News from Oceania

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission proposes to authorise the South East Potato Growers Association and the Victorian Potato Growers Council and their members to collectively bargain with potato buyers.

Frozen foods company McCain Foods New Zealand boosted profit by 27 per cent to $11.4 million for the year ending June, helped along by stronger sales during the Rugby World Cup.

AUSVEG CEO Richard Mulcahy today said that an Inquiry held this morning by the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee is validation of concerns raised by AUSVEG about the biosecurity risks to the Australian potato industry of fresh p...

The start of the annual harvest highlights the success of the potato industry which is providing an economic bonanza in South Australia, becoming the success story of the state's $2.5 billion horticulture sector in the past decade.

Western Australian seed potato growers will today participate in a Field Walk event at the Vasse Research Station, located in the south west agricultural region of WA, to hear about current research into potato pests, diseases and viruses, and to take ...

According to industry research firm IBISWorld, potato chip manufacturers in Australia face tough conditions as a result of increasing health consciousness and rising import competition. On occasion of the publication of a new report on the Potato Chi...

A bitter feud over plans to import potatoes from New Zealand is escalating, with growers accusing Australia's biosecurity body of fudging the science and lacking the knowledge to prevent a major pest outbreak.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) of the Australian Government has released a new statement on October 4 regarding the heavily contested proposal (e.g. by AUSVEG) regarding import of potatoes from New Zealand

Australians' appetite for imported potato chips (french fries) has soared 700 per cent in just two years.

Potato harvesting has begun in the Western Division of Fiji and the government is hoping for around $1.7 million worth of potatoes.

A Senate Inquiry into the importation of fresh potatoes from New Zealand has been praised by the Australian horticulture industry. Last week, Senators Colbeck, Xenophon, Nash, Madigan and McKenzie moved that the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transpor...

The New Zealand-based company CropLogic is the first winner of IBM’s SmartCamp Australia and New Zealand, part of a global program for start-up companies. CropLogic, which was the only New Zealand finalist in the program, is a provider of predictive d...

Furious Tasmanian farmers have warned that the state's potato industry faces ruin if New Zealand imports are allowed.

A cartoon portraying Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard and senior ministers as children playing a video game has been launched by the potato industry as part of its war to block imports of New Zealand potatoes.

The public debate between AUSVEG and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) in Australia continues, with AUSVEG querying DAFF’s decision to go ahead with plans in light of South Korea’s decision to suspend imports of US potatoes due to concerns over zebra chip disease.

Simplot Australia managing director Terry O'Brien has nominated a floor price Tasmanian potato farmers may have to accept to continue growing for the food processor. Speaking after the company announced the results of price negotiations with potato gr...

Simplot's Tasmanian processing potato prices have been cut by 11 per cent and contracts reduced by around 30,000 tonnes.

AUSVEG has “wrongly accused” the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) of basing quarantine conditions on outdated information, and of avoiding accountability, says DAFF.