New Zealand: Spuds rot in wet

Some Pukekohe potato growers are reporting up to 30% losses due to rot, says Potatoes NZ chief executive Chris Claridge. “We don’t have as many potatoes as we normally do and that is driving up prices,” he told Rural News. Some processors and some brands are experiencing difficulties with supplies for chips, he says. He does not have the exact detail of the supply chain management behind the scenes. “We know processors in the North Island must have been affected by the wet weather,” he says. “It has been raining since March in the north. We have been getting these wet nor’easterlies, which are relatively unusual and there hasn’t been the corresponding dry weather to dry out the fields to harvest or plant. More