Warnings of a national potato crisis have sounded in Australia for months, as large amounts of rain and flooding along with other negative factors such as transport delays and high fertilizer costs put pressure on farmers.
But according to www.perthnow.com.au, there is one man in Western Australia we can turn to for a fix when it comes down to it and that is Spud King’s Tony Galati.
The Spudshed founder revealed to The West Australian that he has pushed ahead with a long-term plan to add frozen chips and potato chip processing to his ever-expanding agricultural and retail empire.
Although his plan won’t save us this Christmas, it will produce more frozen potatoes and potato chips in the future.
Equipment is currently being installed at its packaging facility in Myalup, where it is expected to start selling chips in February or March, with frozen products around July or August. “By this time next year we will be in full production,” Galati said.
“Despite the size of the business, it is still a family business. Tony, along with his brothers Vince and Sam, and supported by their sons, oversee the day-to-day operations of the various farms and stores,” according to the Spudshed website.
“Bringing potato products into Western Australia from the eastern states is absurd,” Galati says. “How much fuel do you need, we have to start growing in our own backyard.”
Bad weather delayed the planting of potatoes in Victoria, which usually took place in October in this region. Some farmers worry that they won’t be able to start planting until the end of December.
