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.
New Zealand's potato sector remains a billion dollar plus industry despite a year of crises.
Potatoes New Zealand says the total value of the NZ potato industry now sits at $1.16 billion, a 58% growth rate since targets were set in 2013.
Chief executive Chris Claridge says this result shows the immense value of the local processing sector.
“Fifty-five percent 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.”
However, the sector is disappointed by the findings of a Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) tariff report. Claridge says the conclusions of the MBIE Final Report into European Dumping are “very disappointing” for growers and the Potatoes NZ board.
MBIE found the confirmed dumping of imported potato fries into the NZ market as not of material threat to the local industry.
Claridge says this signals to NZ importers and EU exporters that the NZ 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.
NZ Potato Industry Fast Facts:
A vet is calling for all animals to be vaccinated against a new strain of leptospirosis (lepto) discovered on New Zealand dairy farms in recent years.
Two major red meat sector projects are getting up to a combined $1.7 million in funding from the New Zealand Meat Board (NZMB).
Angus Barr and Tara Dwyer of The Wandle, Lone Star Farms in Strath Taieri have been named the Regional Supreme Winners at the Otago Ballance Farm Environment Awards in Dunedin.
OPINION: The distress that the politicians and bureaucrats are causing to the people of Wairoa and the wider Tairāwhiti is unforgivable.
Dairy
Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.