Crunch time for Western Australian potato growers with crisp manufacturing plant set to close

Western Australian potato growers are shell-shocked after being informed the Smith’s Snackfood Company will close the doors on its Canning Vale crisp manufacturing plant next year. About a dozen WA potato growers in Busselton, Myalup, Dandaragan, Gingin, Manjimup and Pemberton supply 12,000 tonnes of potatoes to the factory, which is worth about $5 million to growers each year. The closure follows a long-running debate about the future of the industry continuing to operate in a regulated market. More