Potato News from Australia

Raj Singh joins the team as Group Aftermarket & Services Manager.

AUSVEG and the Produce Marketing Association of Australia – New
Zealand (PMA-ANZ) have decided to postpone Hort Connections 2020, which was
due to be held from 15-17 June 2020 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

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).

In Australia, Smith’s has announced they’re releasing a new sweet potato chip and not everyone is convinced the unorthodox flavour will be a hit.

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.

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

Nadia & Alf Taylor, co-founders of tna, a leading food processing and packaging solutions provider located in Sydney, Australia, were presented with insignias commemorating their appointment as Members (AM) of the Order of Australia.

A long-awaited price increase has come for the state's McCain potato growers. Grower Beau Gooch said the $33 per tonne increase would help put profitability back in the paddock.

More than 80 potato growers in Tasmania, Australia felt a sense of relief when receiving Simplot's second offer for their processing potatoes, says Nathan Richardson, chairperson of the Tasmanian Farmers & Graziers Association (TFGA) Vegetable Council.

One of Australia’s largest potato wholesalers, Mitolo Group, has been fined for entering into unfair contracts with growers.

Australian researchers have developed a technique to analyze potato chips’ physical characteristics from simulated first bite to swallow, which they say could be used to help formulate a tastier low-fat snack.

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

Tong Engineering has introduced a new twin-head box filler - the Monstafill. A seed potato processor in Tasmania is already using it to minimise labour and to almost triple throughput.

On 10 May, a meeting was held between AuSPICA, members of the Tasmanian Certified Seed Potato Scheme (known as TasSeed) and invited industry representatives.

Philippine-based food company Universal Robina (URC) has announced the divestiture of a 40% stake in its Oceania subsidiary, URC Oceania, to the German snack food manufacturer Intersnack.

Tasmanian potato growers say Simplot is not paying them enough for their vegetables, as they negotiate a new contract with the vegetable processing giant.

Australian potato growers keen to learn about the latest research for managing key pests and diseases on potato farms have an opportunity to listen to leading experts at a Potato Industry Research and Development (R&D) Forum in Melbourne this week.

Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Ready Meals Pty Ltd (Ready Meals), a frozen potato processor in Australia.