AU: $567,000/tonne paid for new season baby potatoes!

At an Industry Dinner on Friday night, an auction of new season baby potatoes resulted in a final bid of a very impressive $8,500. This was for 15kgs so that means these very special potatoes actually sold for $567,000 per tonne! This surpassed last year’s inaugural bid of $3,000 ($200,000/tonne) by Adelaide Produce Market’s CEO, Angelo Demasi.

Mr Tony Wetherall, Stud Stock Manager, Elders Rural Services, a corporate sponsor, transferred his highly regarded auctioneering skills from the livestock saleyards to the horticultural arena, working a room of more than 100 key industry stakeholders to produce this outstanding result. Tony is well remembered as the auctioneer responsible for the world-breaking record of $450,000 for the sale of a Merino ram at the Adelaide Ram Sales in 1990.

The successful bidder was Mr Jamie Roberts, General Manager, Thomas Farm Fresh who was later crowned ‘The 2013 King of Potatoes’ by Senator Sean Edwards, Liberal Senator for South Australia. The auctioned potatoes were kindly donated by Zerella Fresh.

All proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Little Heroes Foundation, a charity dedicated to supporting children living with cancer and serious illness, and their families.

Ms Robbie Davis, CEO of Potatoes South Australia Incorporated, the peak industry body for the entire value chain, said “This Dinner was a first for the industry in 25 years and it was wonderful to see such united, collaborative support for the most significant sector of horticulture at both a state and national level, and for our Charity, the Little Heroes Foundation. Our Independent Chair, Mr Brian Cunningham, is also delighted to see the industry consolidating for future growth in the sector.”

For more information:
Robbie Davis
Potatoes SA
Tel: +61 0427 084 319
Email: robbiedavis@potatoessa.com.au

Publication date: Mon 4 Nov 2013