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24

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