Potatoes New Zealand recently hosted the annual New Zealand Certified Seed Potato Grower meeting in Methven, bringing together growers to review seasonal results, share updates, and discuss current challenges. The meeting also served as a forum for growers to raise questions and priorities for the coming season, reinforcing the central role of certified seed in maintaining productivity, yield, and biosecurity across the country.
Approximately 95% of New Zealand's certified seed potato production is based in Canterbury, where climatic and geographic conditions allow for large-scale mechanised production. The region's flat topography supports efficient planting, harvesting, spraying, and irrigation, while low rainfall and cold winters help manage pests and diseases. Fertile, well-drained alluvial soils also provide favourable growing conditions for tuber development and quality control.
The New Zealand Seed Potato Certification Scheme, established in 1948, is managed by the New Zealand Seed Potato Certification Authority, a sub-committee of the Potatoes New Zealand Board. The authority includes representatives from seed growers, commercial growers, seed companies, and processors. The scheme follows the standards of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), which New Zealand joined in 2014.
Potatoes New Zealand assumed full management of the certification scheme in 2021, improving traceability, data handling, and programme efficiency. Field inspections for the current season will begin shortly, with trained inspectors visually examining crops for signs of irregular growth, stress, disease, or varietal inconsistency. Post-harvest tuber inspections will follow to ensure seed quality, hygiene, and segregation of seed lines.
To support certification and record-keeping, Potatoes New Zealand developed BELIS, a dedicated database for monitoring certification activities and maintaining full traceability. The system has streamlined communication and inspection procedures while supporting continuous improvements in scheme management.
One ongoing challenge for the sector is the management of a growing range of potato varieties introduced into New Zealand from overseas. Evaluating these new varieties for local performance requires extended field trials, often lasting several years, with only a small percentage reaching commercial production.
Managing pests and diseases in seed potatoes remains another area of focus. The certification scheme's protocols include virus testing, multiple field inspections, and tuber checks with every change of seed line ownership. Maintaining clean, disease-free land is essential to avoid soil-borne pests such as Potato Cyst Nematode, while land and water access remain cost pressures for growers.
The industry-led certification system highlights collaboration among seed merchants, seed growers, and processing and fresh potato producers, ensuring that certified seed remains the foundation of New Zealand's potato industry.
Source: Potatoes New Zealand
