Potato Growers Association of Western Australia looks to Jakarta for new market

The Potato Growers Association of Western Australia is in early discussions with companies in Jakarta to try fill a market gap created by the closure of the state’s only crisp manufacturer. Smiths announced last September it would be shutting the doors on its Canning Vale snack foods manufacturing plant this year. The news left about a dozen WA potato growers in Busselton, Myalup, Dandaragan, Gingin, Manjimup and Pemberton without a market for about 10,000 tonnes of potatoes, worth about $5 million to growers each year. But the Association’s executive officer Simon Moltoni said they were making tracks to try secure a reliable and ongoing market in Jakarta for that area of the industry. More