Following a temporary shift to Australian-grown sweet potatoes due to Cyclone Gabrielle and subsequent weather events severely impacting local crops, Nelson's Proper Crisps has resumed using New Zealand kūmara.
The cyclone, part of a series of weather challenges including torrential rain and the Auckland Anniversary Day floods, destroyed 99% of the region's kūmara crops, according to Ant Blundell of Kaipara Kūmara, a supplier to Proper Crisps for over a decade. Blundell described the past year's weather as unprecedented in his 50 years of kūmara harvesting.
With the industry experiencing a 70% downturn due to the cyclone, Proper Crisps had temporarily introduced a sweet potato variant using Australian produce. However, with the recovery of local kūmara crops, the company has placed an order for 700 tonnes of New Zealand-grown kūmara for its Lightly Salted Hand Cooked Kūmara Crisps, dedicated to the New Zealand market. Blundell praised Proper Crisps for their integrity and professionalism throughout the process.
Source: farmersweekly.co.nz
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