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Queensland’s potato production
is focused in the key growing
areas of the Atherton Tableland,
Bundaberg, Killarney and
Eastern Darling Downs and the
Lockyer Valley.
This edition’s report comes
from the Killarney and
Eastern Darling Downs regions,
where growers are currently
resting paddocks prior to
discing in the spring and
planting in September,
October and November.
The soils in the area are
Krasnozems – mostly deep,
well-drained, red clay loams.
They are highly fertile but need
organic matter added to them
to improve nutrient availability.
A potato crop can drawdown
significant nutrients, so it is
necessary to rest a paddock
using a four to five year rotation.
After the potato crop has
been harvested, paddocks are
planted to grass species like
Kikuyu which return nitrogen to
the soil and provide a stockfeed
for grazing cattle.
This is a dryland farming area
without irrigation. Killarney’s
average annual rainfall is 744
millimetres, with up to 60 per
cent falling in summer. The
summer temperatures are
milder because of the altitude,
which is ideal for potato
crops. Unlike other potato
growing regions, Killarney and
the Eastern Darling Downs
produces only one crop a year.
The potatoes are harvested from
January through to May.
It was a good season for the
potato crop this year in the
Killarney region, with
tonnages up. Unlike other
regions where too much rain
has been a problem, Killarney
and the surrounding district
received enough adequate
soaking rainfall to grow a good
crop without presenting delays
in harvesting through too
muddy fields.
Brushed potatoes still remain
a popular market option for
growers in the region, with
Sebago favoured because of
their versatility.
With Oakville Produce in
receivership and harvesting
difficulties in other regions,
potatoes have become a scarcer
commodity and prices are high.
It seems likely that the prices
will remain high for several more
months. It is currently a good
time to be a potato grower if
you have the commodity to
harvest, wherever you are
growing in Queensland.
Pat Hannan
Growcom
Chief Executive Officer
68 Anderson Street,
Fortitude Valley, QLD 4006
Phone: 07 3620 3844
Fax: 07 3620 3880
Queensland
The sixth of July was the day
the Smith’s processing plant
processed its last potatoes. This
is a significant loss to the potato
industry in Western Australia
as it represents about 15 per
cent of total potato production
in this state. This closure means
that WA only has one significant
processing plant left. It is vital to
seed, ware and export growers
that processing continues in WA
as many crops that don’t meet
specs, and also out-of-grade
product, can provide some
return through processing.
The PGA is currently exploring
export markets for these chip
stock growers. We believe
that marketing this chip stock
cooperatively as a single block
will give growers the best
opportunity to compete in
these markets long-term.
Seed growers in Albany
have all but finished grading
this year’s harvest. Yields
have been reasonable and
losses from inundation due to
a wet autumn have not been
as bad as growers initially
feared. Uncertainty in the
marketplace is the major issue
with the closure of Smith’s
and deregulation of the fresh
market. The placing of Oakville
Produce into administration also
affects WA seed growers.
Export seed growers in the
Manjimup/Pemberton and
Margaret River regions have
also mostly finished grading
with growers reporting positive
marketing outcomes for the
season. Expansion from existing
markets and interest from new
clients has seen new growers
enter the export seed market
through existing exporters. We
expect this growth to continue.
Seed growers await with
interest the outcome of
proposed changes to upgrade
the National Seed Certification
Scheme and also the review
of governance arrangements.
To compete in export markets,
it’s important to be on a
level playing field with our
international competitors
while maintaining the quality
of our seed and the integrity of
the scheme.
Regulation of the fresh
market will be finalised on 30
September. Growers are still
in limbo, with uncertainty over
contracts and no news
yet on payments from the
grower adjustment package.
Growers are anxious that this is
finalised so they can move on
and make decisions about future
business investment.
Simon Moltoni
Potato Growers Association of
Western Australia Inc
Executive Officer
103 Outram Street
West Perth, WA 6005
Phone: 08 9481 0834
Email: potatoes@vegetableswa.
Website:
Western Australia
Victoria
short-term.
AUSVEG VIC, in conjunction
with AUSVEG, has been
working closely with interested
parties including Deloitte and
the Australian Competition
and Consumer Commission
to ensure that the interests
of growers remain a priority
throughout the administration
and sale process.
Given Oakville Produce is the
Australian licensee for a number
of major plant breeders’ rights
The sale of Oakville Produce
has been subjected to a
number of delays causing
ongoing headaches for Victoria’s
potato growers.
With no certainty around
when administrators Deloitte
will be able to finalise the
sale, this uncertainty looks set to
continue, at least in the
(PBRs), the administration
and sale of Oakville Produce
will continue to be a major
area of focus for AUSVEG VIC
until such a time as the sale
is finalised.
AUSVEG VIC is determined to
ensure that any potential buyer
of Oakville Produce has a sound
understanding of the Australian
potato industry and, most
importantly, the vital role played
by Victoria’s potato growers.
Potato growers with questions
or concerns relating to Oakville
Produce’s current operations or
the sale process are encouraged
to contact AUSVEG VIC State
Manager Kurt Hermann on
0437 037 613.
Kurt Hermann
AUSVEG VIC State Manager
Level 2, 273 Camberwell Road
Camberwell, VIC 3124
Phone: 0437 037 613
Email: kurt.hermann@
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