This episode featured as part of the Agronomy segment in partnership with PGG Wrightson.

The Government has shown little interest in food security, Potatoes New Zealand Chief Executive Kate Truffitt says, following this week’s vegetable industry showcase in Parliament.

“A lot of governments around the world have really turned to food security equals security of the land,” she says.

New Zealand produces enough to feed far more than its five million people, but the vegetable sector remains domestically focused. Potatoes export about 20%, mainly to the Pacific and Asia.

“It’s all about feeding our people with good, nutritious food.”

Pricing across horticulture is dictated by wholesale supply and demand, with supermarkets benchmarking their retail prices against wholesale rates.

She says growers need the right tools to bring a marketable crop out of the ground, and she is looking towards international data and a closer Australasian relationship to fill regulatory gaps.

“You don’t grow potatoes in isolation; you grow them as part of a growing system.

“Yields are back slightly, prices are good.”

Make sure to contact PGG Wrightson to plan your crop and pasture requirements. You can find your local Technical Field Representative or store team here.

CountryWide CONNECT with Andy Thompson & Sarah Perriam-Lampp is our daily rural show livestreamed from 11am-1pm. Visit country-wide.co.nz on how to watch/listen or download the CountryWide CONNECT mobile app, available on Apple iOS and Android.