2. The New Zealand Potato Industry
Ron Gall
Business Manager
Potatoes New Zealand

3. Hawke’s Bay
Manawatu
Canterbury 3

4. Production and income stats
234 growers (40 seed, 194 table & process)
10,670 ha (2010)
11% seed, 33% table, 56% process
520,000 tonnes (1 in 3 rows exported)
Farm-gate value $147M (y/e 31 March 2010)
Exports (y/e 30 June 2010)
29,834 tonnes/$16M Fresh
67,718 tonnes/$77M Process

5. Economic Environment New Zealand economy
Dairy pay-outs continuing to rise
Vegetable prices still very volatile
Rapid decrease in interest rates BUT money is harder to borrow
Property values devaluing
Fluctuating value of $NZ has made forward planning difficult
NZ total agriculture exports steadily increasing
Domestic economy still very fragile

6. Structure of Horticulture New Zealand

7. Structure of Potatoes New Zealand
Export Market
Development
Group
4 growers
&
4 exporters
8 Directors
1 must be a seed grower,
2 must be table growers &
2 must be process growers
Communications
Group
1 from each group
&
Advisor
Promotion
Group
3 growers
&
1 wholesaler
Seed
Certification
Authority
Group
3 seed growers,
4 table
&
process growers
Research
&
Development
Group
4 growers,
1 seed merchant,
1 science provider &
1 processor
Leadership
&
Training
Group
2 growers
1 service provider

8. Challenges/Opportunities
Key pest potato/tomato psyllid
Associated micro-organisms resulted in biosecurity and production issues
Few control options and need for new chemistry
Merger of research providers has improved the focus on potato R&D
Consumer concerns about country of origin labelling and impact of buy local campaigns
Customer requirements for sustainability indicators
Consumers now almost universally accept that potatoes are good for them
Water allocation

9. State of the Industry Psyllid remains a huge challenge
Psyllid has been the trigger to make people talk to one another
There is more sharing of information
There is more trust
Positivity about opportunities
Good leadership
Resulting in:
progress toward increasing value for all industry stakeholders
long-term planning for growth in the industry

10. Realising the dream
Potatoes New Zealand is committed to progress through partnerships:
Industry working together to:
exploit new markets
increase consumption
improve the health status of chips
determine R & D priorities
improve leadership & training
International collaboration
Shared marketing collateral
Soil-borne disease projects (and more to come)

11. The Future Potatoes NZ Grower Members & Trade Members
(any person actively engaged in
processing, trading or retailing potatoes)
All together to drive the industry forward