Mar 6, 2024

Australian potato industry reaches record production value

The production value of Australia’s potato industry has surged past $1 billion AUD for the first time, according to a report from the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

That value is equal to almost $635 million U.S. dollars.

The industry continues to produce about 1.4 million tonnes of potatoes annually, though production value increased in the last financial year by 24%, according to the latest edition of the Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook.

A tonne, referred to as a metric ton in the U.S., is equal to 1,000 kilograms (nearly 2,300 pounds).

Nigel Crump, acting chair of Potatoes Australia, told ABC News that industry investment is 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.

The nation’s biggest potato-producing state was Tasmania, which produced 458,000 tonnes last financial year, followed by South Australia (433,000 tonnes), Victoria (263,000 tonnes), New South Wales (158,000 tonnes), Queensland (80,000 tonnes) and Western Australia (68,000 tonnes).

Australia exported more than 40,000 tonnes of potatoes last financial year, with its biggest customers being South Korea and the Philippines.

U.S. potato farmers grew nearly 20 million tonnes of the crop in 2023, according to Gro Intelligence.