Lessons learned from potato growers down-under
Andy Alexander, specialist potato consultant and agronomist, has provided advice across the UK and Australia for over 35 years, and has travelled to the southern continent over 17 times.
He explains how adapting to change in a volatile climate has been key to success for growers in Australia, and what lessons UK growers can take from this.
“My role is to provide business advice, measuring the abilities of organisations to survive in tough environments.
“The key challenge in Australia is the weather and the extremes that can be experienced. Some days there can be very high temperatures of over 30oC, and on others up to 35mm of rain in under 24 hours.
“At the other end of the spectrum in the UK, the impact of this year’s wet and cold spring has the potential to result in a late, and in some cases average, crop for many British growers.
“Ultimately, whether you’re farming in the UK or Australia, potatoes are expensive to grow and as units get larger, the financial risk becomes greater. Therefore, it’s all about feeding and protecting the plant to ensure a healthy crop.”
At the time of Andy’s first visit to Australia in 1998, pressure was growing on the frozen food industry. Cultural changes were driving higher sales in snack foods, and large food brands were increasing the pressure for universal product quality.
“The work in Australia all started when a friend of mine was working for McCain Foods. As a business they didn’t think they were getting the best possible produce from source, and I was tasked with looking at some of the on-farm situations to see what improvements could be made. “The big brands need to ensure the same quality of product is sold across the world, so their customers know what to expect whether in Sydney, London or Hong Kong.
“I helped growers to understand the importance of adapting their practices to produce a product the consumer wanted, at the desired quality while also ensuring they were conscious of the market conditions.
“Australia has some very large farms, and the big operators with advanced irrigation set-ups can easily commit to growing at least 1,000 hectares of crop.
“One farm I work with is 2.5 million hectares in size, and covers an area bigger than Holland and Belgium put together. However, the bigger the area, the bigger the potential risk, if issues arise.
“It’s all about making objective suggestions that the farmer hasn’t necessarily considered, and educating growers about why crops need the products they do. I can come in with a fresh take on their businesses.
“In Australia, they are very open to change, and I think this is what sees them through the difficulties and enables them to maintain the quality of crop on-farm, despite the volatile conditions.”
Top potato tips from down under:
- Understand your soil type and its capabilities
- Know your market and end consumer
- Record everything you do, so you can compare and benchmark each season
- Consider contracting as a method of reducing risk
- Employ people that embody the values and goals that you have for the farm
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