Potato News from Oceania

The government of Western Australia has announced that it has succeeded in regaining market access for Western Australian potatoes in all of Australia, following the detection of tomato potato psyllid in February 2017.

Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. announced today that it has acquired Marvel Packers Pty Ltd , a frozen potato processor in Australia. Marvel operates frozen potato processing and storage facilities (for frozen product) in Hallam, Victoria.

In response to the steadily growing popularity of sweet potato in Australia, McCain Foods is introducing new sweet potato products to the freezer aisle.

Food processing and packaging equipment manufacturer tna is pleased to announce that its co-founders Alf and Nadia Taylor have been awarded with the 2018 Ethnic Business Award in the “Medium to Large Business” category.

Food processing and packaging equipment manufacturer tna has officially opened a brand new, state-of-the-art Australian manufacturing site to support the global demand for its high performance food packaging solutions.

West Australian Fresh Food market SpudShed increased its profit by 76 per cent to nearly $4 million over the past year, despite pressure on margins fuelled partly by rising competition from international players.

Processing and packaging specialist tna introduces the intelli-date 5, a high-speed thermal transfer overprint date coder with airless design and integrated print code verification technology for continuously high-quality printing on flexible bags.

The annual auction of new season baby potatoes in South Australia, brought in a record AU$39.000. Proceeds of the auction are donated to the Little Heroes Foundation, a charity supporting children living with cancer and serious illness.

The scale of the Potato Mop-Top Virus problem on New Zealand South Island potato farms has widened. Eighteen Canterbury farms are now on the suspect list, after the virus was first confirmed on two properties last month.

Potatoes South Australia is searching and finding new applications for potato waste

Biosecurity New Zealand is working with Potatoes New Zealand to respond to a detection of Potato mop-top virus (PMTV) in potato tubers in Canterbury. Though common around the world, it is the first time the virus has been found in New Zealand.

Potatoes New Zealand, the industry's governing body has made a commitment to ensure the quality of potatoes imported from New Zealand by Fiji will be of top quality.

Processing Equipment manufacturers Key Technology, Inc. and Heat and Control Pty Ltd. announced that they have entered into a strategic partnership to support customers in Australia, New Zealand and India.

A Northern Tasmanian farmer has lashed out at McCain over contract potato pricing, as Australian consumer watchdog ACCC begins an investigation into the potato processor.

La compañía australiana tna, líder en soluciones integradas de procesamiento y empaque de alimentos, abrió una oficina y centro de capacitación en México para brindar nuevos servicios y un soporte técnico mejorado.

In New Zealand, a three month test of a new Pulsed Electric Field Technology (PEF) unit from Elea, from Germany, started at McCain Foods Timaru and involves industrial-scale food processing of french fries.

The Australian Industry Association AUSVEG has published a Potato Growers’ Biosecurity Manual, a guide to farm biosecurity measures to reduce the risk of weeds, pests, and diseases impacting production.

A research project in New Zealand is determining if different field soils affect development of powdery scab on potatoes, and whether soil physical, chemical and/or biological characteristics influence this important potato disease.