Potato News from South Australia

AUSVEG has welcomed the announcement from Agriculture Minister David Littleproud that two key commitments are now realised under the Thailand-Australia Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA), which will improve market access for Australian potato exporters into the Thai market.

Four of the largest potato producers in Australia want to convert 100% of their potato waste into commercial benefit through their partnership with the Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre (CRC).

Adelaide, South Australia has been named as the host city for the 2023 World Potato Congress (WPC), the first time this event has been held in Australia. The announcement was made during Potatoes South Australia’s Annual Industry Dinner and Auction.

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.

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

In an effort to combat food waste, Potatoes South Australia has teamed up with the University of Adelaide and Adelaide Hills Distillery to make vodka from potato skins.

Seed potato growers on Kangaroo Island - an island off the mainland of South Australia - are successfully adopting a new strategy to manage the aphids and thrips pestering their crops, taking on expert advice from agronomists and entomologists to adopt integrated pest management for these insect pests.

According to a Deloitte spokesman South Australian fresh produce company the Mitolo Group had taken control of all South Australian-owned farms of bankrupt Oakville Produce, as well as packaging businesses in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney - as of September 23.

AUSVEG and PMA Australia-New Zealand Limited (PMA-ANZ) will unite to deliver a joint industry conference and trade show in 2017.

Kangaroo Island (South Australia) potato producer Peter Cooper has been named the 2016 Rabobank Potatoes South Australia and Ruralco Industry Award winner.

The Mitolo family will be the first Australian farmers to produce Europe’s popular potato variety, the Gourmandine.

The South Australian Potato Industry has received funding of $100,000 to enable a project to add value to potatoes which are graded-out due to size or shape and do not meet supermarket specifications.

South Australia will actively pursue the Asian market for export of its crisping and seed potatoes.

Former McCain Foods Plant in Penola (Australia) gets a new life as dairy processing facility

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

Predicta Pt, the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) soil testing service for the potato industry, has received the John Deere Productivity Partner Award at the 2014 AUSVEG Awards for Excellence in June.

Potato farmers are looking to take control of the Penola Safries plant to use it for storage.

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