Spud boss digging into her role
Six months into the Potatoes New Zealand chief executive role and Kate Trufitt has embraced the challenges and opportunities with enthusiasm.
A potato virus has been found in Canterbury.
Biosecurity New Zealand is working with Potatoes New Zealand to respond to a detection of Potato mop-top virus (PMTV) in potato tubers.
Incident controller, David Yard, says PMTV is not a food safety issue.
“Potato mop-top virus is a crop disease which, if found to be wide-spread, could cause some productivity issues for growers.
“It is a notifiable and unwanted organism in New Zealand under the Biosecurity Act.”
Yard says to date, potato tubers from two properties in the Canterbury region have tested positive for the virus. Further sampling is under way in the region.
“This is the first time the virus has been found in New Zealand, however it is common in other countries.”
Potatoes New Zealand chief executive, Chris Claridge, says the affected potatoes are from the Innovator variety, which are only used for potato chips.
“The industry is working closely with Biosecurity New Zealand to learn more about the virus, the impact it could have on growers, and to stop any risk of spread,” Claridge says.
“We will then consider if it is possible to eradicate it, or whether we will need to work with growers to manage its impact over the long term.”
The Innovator variety of potato was last imported as germplasm into New Zealand in July 2011.
Affected potatoes can display symptoms including distortions to the skin, deep cracking, and rust-coloured arcs, streaks or flecks in the tuber flesh.
Biosecurity New Zealand is investigating how the virus may have entered the country.
South Waikato farm manager Ben Purua’s amazing transformation from gang life to milking cows was rewarded with the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer award last night.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
Family and solidarity shone through at the 75 years of Ferdon sale in Otorohanga last month.
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