News on Potato Trade from Oceania

AUSVEG has reviewed Global Trade Atlas import data to better understand: the changes in the levels of potato imports pre- and post-COVID, as well as
the changes in import levels over the last 12-months as growers have faced significant increases in costs of production.

Exports of frozen fries from Belgium and the Netherlands to New Zealand have more than doubled in the quarter ending July 2022. These exports will be arriving presently, given shipping lead-times.

Potatoes New Zealand is asking the New Zealand government to give urgent consideration to imposing short-term measures limiting the importation into New Zealand of heavily discounted frozen potato chips to avoid a food security threat.

Backed overwhelmingly by industry, the Potato Growers Association of Western Australia (PGAWA) is moving forward to establish an export entity by May 2020.

In Western Australia, the potato industry is embarking on a major effort to develop export opportunities

The Latest Potatoes New Zealand Industry Volumes & Values

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.

In Western Australia, a surveillance program to assess if the last year detected tomato potato psyllid (TPP) carries the zebrachip disease pathogen (CLso), did not identify a single case of the pest - with over 10.000 psyllids tested.

​More than 300 seed potato farmers across South Australia and Victoria will be celebrating after last week's breakthrough in securing new market access to Indonesia.

In Fiji, the Ministry of Agriculture is working closely with farmers around the country who are interested in potato farming. This year will be the first year farmers will be planting the locally obtained seeds.

For almost 50 years, Bernie White has grown potatoes in the rich, red, volcanic soil of Trentham, the traditional potato patch in Victoria, Australia. Now he doesn't know if his farm has a future.

Alan Parker looked out onto the farm business he had spent his entire life establishing. The West Australian seed potato grower will know in the next six weeks whether his lifelong career will continue.

Scottsdale farmers Jerrod and Susan Nichols are preparing to plant their 2016 spring crops, but say processing potatoes for McCain would not be in the mix unless prices lifted.

A significant rise in potato imports into Australia is forecast for 2016, sparking concern about the profitability and competitiveness of the Australian potato industry over the coming months.

Western Australia's potato industry will be deregulated in July and the highly restrictive Potato Marketing Corporation (PMC) abolished by the end of the year.

The Papua New Guinean Government has instituted a ban on the import of selected Australian fruits and vegetables, including potatoes, effective from 11 August 2015.

Fresh potatoes from New Zealand have been approved for export to Vietnam, providing a new export opportunity for growers.

Tasmania's fresh potato growers are building mainstream markets for unusual potatoes, all the way to Dubai.