Thursday, 12 August 2021 09:25

NZ potato industry continues growth despite 2020 challenges

Written by  Staff Reporters
Potatoes NZ chief executive Chris Claridge. Potatoes NZ chief executive Chris Claridge.

The New Zealand potato Industry remains a billion dollar plus industry, despite the challenges brought about in 2020.

The total value of the NZ potato industry now sits at $1.16 billion, a 58% growth rate since targets were set in 2013.

Potatoes New Zealand chief executive Chris Claridge says the result shows the immense value of the processing sector.

“55% of our locally grown potatoes produce fries and another 12% produce crisps. A strong domestic market for NZ processed potatoes underpins our industry and maintains our growers’ resilience,” Claridge says.

He says the findings from the report into European dumping released by the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) in May 2021 are disappointing for growers and the Potatoes NZ board.

MBIE found the confirmed dumping of imported potato fries into the New Zealand market were not of material threat to the local industry, which Claridge says signals to New Zealand importers and European exporters that the New Zealand government is leaving the gate open.

“The obvious risk here is a real material threat to our domestic potato processing market and our growers,” he says.

More like this

Featured

NZ Farm Accident Claims Drop Nearly 35% Since 2020

A huge reduction in ACC claims from on-farm accidents over the last five years is due to thousands of small, practical decisions being made in sheds, yards, paddocks and around kitchen tables across the country, says Safer Farms ambassador Lindy Nelson.

Inside the Moxhams' Award-Winning Organic Dairy Farm

Wayne and Ange Moxham of Horowhenua have just been named as Fonterra's top organic performer for milksolids. As well as providing organic milk to Fonterra, the couple also sell Udderly Organic milk to more than 100 outlets in the region and are embarking on another exciting venture producing organic gelato. Reporter Peter Burke went along to see their farming operation.

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Great Idea!

OPINION: Central Hawke's Bay farmer Mark Warren recently told the Hawke's Bay Times it's time for a conversation about allowing…

No Choice

OPINION: A nation that relies as heavily as NZ does on functional global shipping lanes will have to do its…

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter