AUSVEG has signed on as a Platinum Sustaining Partner of the World Potato Congress, as part of its ongoing commitment and duty to represent Australia’s potato industry and growers at the highest levels on the international stage.

AUSVEG is the prescribed Peak Industry Body for Australia’s potato, onion and vegetable industry.

Our core mission includes representing the interests of potato, vegetable and onion growers through advocacy to the highest levels of government, and by fostering adoption of productivity-enhancing innovation that promotes a vibrant and sustainable industry. AUSVEG is the only national body representing the interests of Australian potato growers that is owned by growers, for growers – and the only Australian peak body representative to have signed on as a Platinum Sustaining Partner of the World Potato Congress.

AUSVEG delivers high-quality services to growers in areas such as R&D extension, communications, international trade development and biosecurity preparedness.

Ahead of the 13^th World Potato Congress 2026 in Kenya, the partnership with the World Potato Congress affirms AUSVEG’s ongoing commitment to leading local and global collaboration, and productivity enhancements in the potato industry, through sharing of knowledge and innovation – while ensuring Australia’s potato growers are represented in international and domestic forums at the highest levels.

AUSVEG CEO Michael Coote said, “A key part of our role as the prescribed Peak Industry Body representing the Australian potato industry is ensuring growers are aware of and have opportunities to access the latest innovations, breakthroughs and research – both from within Australia, and internationally. We are proud to join with the World Potato Congress as a Platinum Partner as we lead the way in ensuring Australian growers benefit from the wealth of knowledge and innovation that exists in the global potato industry, and that the potato sector internationally can, in-turn, gain insights and inspiration from the world-class practices employed in Australia.”

In a press release welcoming AUSVEG as a Platinum Sustaining Partner, World Potato Congress President Peter VanderZaag said: “Having AUSVEG join as a Platinum Sustaining Partner of the World Potato Congress is an important development.  This links the potato growers they represent to the international potato community. The Platinum Partnership is a unique partnership which includes, in part, support for delegates from Global South Countries to attend the biennial Congress event.  These delegates represent regions for which potatoes are key to food security and development and we applaud AUSVEG in recognizing the needs of the global potato community in choosing this level of Partnership.”

Over 3,600 vegetable, potato and onion producers account for 3.8 million tonnes of vegetable production worth $5.7 billion in farmgate value annually. This includes 1.5 million tonnes of annual potato production, worth more than $1.1 billion – making potatoes the single largest crop produced in the Australian vegetable industry by volume and value.  AUSVEG also partners with the International Fresh Produce Association Australia-New Zealand (IFPA-ANZ) to host Hort Connections, the largest horticulture conference in the Southern Hemisphere.

AUSVEG looks forward to continuing to strengthen ties and collaboration with the World Potato Congress, as we advance our shared objectives of promoting a thriving and vibrant potato sector, both in Australia and internationally.

ENDS

 MEDIA CONTACT
Andrew MacDonald, National Manager – Communications, AUSVEG, +61 406 836 330, Email: andrew.macdonald@ausveg.com.au