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CROOKWELL POTATO GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION (CPA) OVERSEES AN ESTABLISHED,
NATIONALLY ENDORSED QUALITY ASSURANCE (QA) PROGRAM FOR POTATO SEED IN
NEW SOUTH WALES.
POTATOES AUSTRALIA
SPOKE TO CPA PRESIDENT MATTHEW GAY
ABOUT THE PROGRAM’S HISTORY, ITS OBJECTIVES AND THE CREATION OF THE QA
MANUAL – A NECESSARY TOOL IN POTATO SEED CERTIFICATION.
In the spotlight: NSW Quality Assurance
program for potato seed
F
ollowing a lot of hard work
and dedication from its
members, Crookwell Potato
Growers’ Association (CPA)
initiated a Quality Assurance
(QA) program 12 years ago.
The program, originally
open to CPA growers only, is
now available to anyone who
grows certified seed potatoes
within New South Wales. It
is designed to prepare and
manage a crop of certified seed
potatoes by diligently adhering
to QA protocol involving
seed preparation, paddock
identification and insect and
disease monitoring, through to
grading and packing of pure
varietal lines of potatoes.
It became nationally endorsed
by the Australian Seed Potato
Council in 2014.
Matthew Gay has been the
CPA President for the
last 10 years, overseeing
the development and
implementation of CPA's QA
Manual in that time.
He explained the reason
behind CPA’s decision
to establish its own seed
certification program in
New South Wales.
“The main reason was
because New South Wales
Department of Primary
Industries was cutting costs
and therefore services. The
potato seed certification service
was one of the services to be
cut. They gave us a time limit
and said they would help with
a phase in-phase out program
to get us established with a
different Certification Authority,”
Mr Gay said.
“We had a couple of options
after that, which we looked
at, and then we had a special
general meeting and it was
unanimously decided that
we start our own QA program.”
All growers participating in
the CPA’s QA program are
operating within the Upper
Lachlan Shire, which falls in the
State Government’s Quarantine
Proclamation area. This
indicates a disease-free status,
including freedom from Potato
cyst nematode (PCN).
As part of the program, CPA
has formatted a weekly crop
inspection where growers look
for and monitor insect types
and populations.
“If the grower has identified
an insect infection in the crop
that has the potential to vector
disease through the crop or
create economic loss of the
crop, then a spray program is
instigated. The disease status
Seed certification