The New Zealand Potato Industry remains a billion-dollar-plus industry despite a year of crises, and a disappointing Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment tariff report.

The total value of the NZ potato industry now sits at $1.16 billion, a 58 per cent growth rate since targets were set in 2013.

Chris Claridge, CEO of Potatoes New Zealand says the result shows 'the immense value of our processing sector”.

'Fifty-five per cent of our locally grown potatoes produce fries and another 12 per cent produce crisps. A strong domestic market for NZ processed potatoes underpins our industry and maintains our growers' resilience.”

He says the findings in the MBIE Final Report into European Dumping are very disappointing for growers and the Potatoes NZ board.

MBIE found the confirmed dumping of imported potato fries into the NZ market as not of material threat to the local industry, which Chris says signals to New Zealand importers and EU exporters that the Government is leaving the gate open.

'The obvious risk here is a real material threat to our domestic potato processing market and our growers,” he says.

This week and next, Potatoes NZ are holding the 2021 NZ Potato Industry Forums with a theme of Sustainable Growth, in the South and North Island growing regions.

The forums focus on industry value growth and will test the appetite of industry for further pursuit of domestic market security.

In addition, all aspects of sustainable development; economic, social, and environmental impacts, will be covered in the day-long forums with keynote speakers Bernard Hickey providing an economic report and Katherine Rich speaking on the New Zealand supermarket duopoly.