Australia: Australia’s potato industry surpasses $1 billion in production value for the first time
The production value of Australia’s potato industry has surged past $1 billion for the first time, as Matt Brann and Kate Forrester reports for ABC Landline.
The latest edition of the Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook shows the industry continues to produce about 1.4 million tonnes of spuds per year, but the value of that production in the last financial year increased by a whopping 24 per cent.
Acting chair of Potatoes Australia, Nigel Crump, said there had been a lot of investment in the potato sector, which was paying off. “It’s really exciting that our industry has grown considerably and it’s largely driven through the investment the industry has been making in the last few years in automation and innovation,” he said.
Potato grower Michael Smith, who farms near Manjimup in Western Australia, said the increasing demand for potatoes had been noticeable, and he had increased his plantings. “Since the chip shortage 12 to 18 months ago, we’ve definitely seen a better bottom line … the demand has been unbelievable and it hasn’t stopped this year,” he said.
Source: ABC Landline. Read the full story here
Image: Credit ABC Landline
Fuente: https://www.potatonewstoday.com/2024/02/18/australias-potato-industry-surpasses-1-billion-in-production-value-for-the-first-time/
