November 2026
From the Chief Executive
You told us. We’re listening.
Thank you to everyone who took part in our recent grower survey. Your feedback has given us valuable insight into what matters most to you: staying connected with growers, focusing on the issues affecting your businesses and keeping you informed about the work Potatoes New Zealand is doing on your behalf.
Your Levy at Work
We are taking that feedback on board. From now on, you will start to see a slightly different approach to the newsletter. Alongside industry news and upcoming events, we will share more about what Potatoes New Zealand is working on, why it matters to growers and what is coming .
There is plenty happening across the industry. We are engaging with retailers about the potato category, progressing our research priorities, representing potato growers in biosecurity discussions and continuing to work on the issues growers have told us matter most.
Our focus is on making sure this work is relevant and useful to growers, and making the outcomes of that work clearer in the way we communicate with you. As always, please keep talking to us. Your feedback helps shape our priorities and where we focus our effort.
Kate Trufitt
Chief Executive
Potatoes New Zealand
The future is something we grow together.
Market Watch
Strengthening the potato category
Potatoes New Zealand recently met with Alex Kingi from Foodstuffs to discuss consumer needs, grower pressures, supply certainty and opportunities to strengthen the potato category.
The discussion included making it easier for consumers to choose potatoes by end use, such as air frying, roasting, mashing and salads, supported by clearer information at the point of sale.
Why it matters: Stronger connections with retailers help ensure grower perspectives are understood and identify opportunities to strengthen demand for New Zealand potatoes.
Research in Action
Making nitrogen decisions easier with Sustainable Vegetable Systems
Nitrogen availability comes from more than fertiliser. Soil nitrogen, mineralisation and crop residues can all influence what is available to the crop. The Sustainable Vegetable Systems (SVS) tool brings this information together into a nitrogen budget, helping growers and advisers make better informed fertiliser decisions using their own crop and soil information.
And importantly, the work has not stopped with developing the tool. The current extension programme is about helping growers and agronomists become confident using SVS with their own crops, soil tests and farm information, while also capturing feedback that can improve the tool’s functionality and usability.
Why it matters: Better information can support more targeted nitrogen decisions and improved fertiliser use efficiency.
Try it yourself
Canterbury Sustainable Vegetable Systems workshop is Tuesday 10 November, 3.30 to 5.30 pm at Hotel Ashburton. Bring your laptop, crop details and soil nitrogen test results and start building a nitrogen budget for your own crop.
Degree Day Monitoring
The new season’s Tomato Potato Psyllid (TPP) Growing Degree Day graphs are now available. These are a decision support tool to try estimate what the TPP pressure might be, based on average daily temperatures and comparing to previous seasons.
Welcoming our summer research interns
Potatoes New Zealand is pleased to welcome Charlotte and Stephanie to the 2026/27 summer internship programme at Te Ahikawariki. The internships give university students practical experience in vegetable research, while helping build future capability for our industry.
Meet Charlotte Muir
Charlotte is in her second year of a Bachelor of Agricultural Science at Lincoln University. Originally from Pukekohe, Charlotte will spend the summer interning at Te Ahikawariki, gaining practical experience in vegetable industry research and building connections across horticulture.
Meet Stephanie Butler
Stephanie is studying Environmental Sciences at the University of Waikato, with minors in Soil Science and Data Analytics.
Originally from near Pukekohe, she is looking forward to applying her studies and gaining practical industry experience this summer.
Crop Watch
Making biosecurity investment work for potato growers
Potatoes New Zealand has been actively representing potato growers in recent plant sector discussions about how industries can work together more effectively on biosecurity readiness and response.
We support working together where it delivers practical capability and clear value for potato growers, including better surveillance and diagnostics, movement controls, response readiness and access to response tools. Any additional levy investment must address a clear need, avoid duplication and deliver tangible grower benefit.
Potatoes New Zealand is also contributing to the Government Industry Agreement Deed review, with a focus on fair, workable arrangements that protect growers from unnecessary financial exposure and maintain industry’s voice in biosecurity decisions.
Why it matters: Strong biosecurity readiness helps protect growers’ ability to keep producing if a biosecurity event occurs.
Growing Our People
Congratulations Jana Hendrikse!
We are delighted to announce Jana Hendrikse as a 2026 Potatoes New Zealand Charitable Trust Bursary recipient. The bursary supports further education and development and reflects the Trust’s commitment to investing in people who will contribute to the future of New Zealand’s potato industry. We received a strong group of applications this year, making the judges’ decision a challenging one.
Thank you to everyone who applied and shared their aspirations, experience and plans for the future. We would also like to extend a sincere thank you to our judges for the time and careful consideration they gave to assessing the applications. Congratulations Jana. We wish you every success with your studies and look forward to following your journey.
Youth Council – November 2026
By Bridgett James
Members of the South Island Youth Council have taken the initiative to bring together like-minded young people within the agricultural industry through a monthly group called Next Gen Growers. Initially, the group met at the Rakaia Tavern; however, following feedback from participants, it was agreed that meetings would rotate between locations to encourage greater attendance and provide a wider range of perspectives.
The initiative has also been a fantastic way for young people in the industry to connect, build friendships, and strengthen their professional networks. Looking ahead, one of the key goals of Next Gen Growers is to organise tours of various sectors within the industry, providing members with valuable opportunities for learning, development, and growth.
Potatoes New Zealand Charitable Trust – Potato Business School Scholarship – Last chance to apply!
Applications for the Potatoes New Zealand Charitable Trust – Potato Business School Scholarship close on Friday 6 November 2026. The scholarship provides up to $8,000 to support course fees, travel and accommodation. The Potatoes New Zealand Charitable Trust Potato Business School Scholarship provides an opportunity for a person working in the New Zealand potato industry to attend the internationally recognised Potato Business School in Emmeloord, the Netherlands.
If you, a colleague, or a family member are looking to further your education and contribute to the future of the potato sector, we encourage you to apply before the closing date.
Canterbury, let’s get together!
Join Potatoes New Zealand and Horticulture Canterbury for Growing Canterbury on Wednesday 18 November | 6pm as we celebrate the successes of 2026, reconnect with industry colleagues and officially launch Canterbury Young Grower 2027.
Thinking about entering next year? Come along bring your colleagues or anyone who might be interested to hear more about the competition, meet past competitors and connect with people from across the industry.
Work Well
Summer is coming: Look after yourself in the field
With longer days and more time outside, remember the basics: sun protection, hydration and scheduling demanding work for cooler parts of the day where practical.
Farmstrong
Practical wellbeing tools and resources designed for farmers and growers to help manage the ups and downs of rural life.
Rural Support
Free, confidential support from people who understand the pressures and challenges of rural life.
On the Horizon
Annual Direct Sales Levy Request Due
Potato Grower Request: Your annual direct sales levy is now due. This is for the previous 12 months as per the Commodity Levy (Potatoes ) Order Act (July 2025 – June 2026).
All levies paid to Potatoes New Zealand support the work that is done to promote better outcomes for the New Zealand potato industry. This work includes advocacy, biosecurity, research and development, representing and promoting the potato industry.
If you have any queries, please email [email protected] or phone 0800 399 674.
SAVE THE DATE – Potatoes Conference 2027
17-18 August 2027
One New Zealand Stadium
This industry leading event will bring together growers, researchers, industry partners, and sector leaders to explore the latest innovations, share insights, and discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the potato industry. More details and registration information will be available soon. We look forward to seeing you there.
Save the date and stay tuned for more information.
6 Nov | Potato Business School Scholarship – Applications close | Apply >>
10 Nov | SVS Workshop 2 | Canterbury | Register >>
13 Nov | MG Trust Fund – Funding Round closes | Apply >>
18 Nov | Canterbury Growers – End of year event / Young Grower 2027 launch | Register >>
19 Nov | Road Compliance Workshop | Pukekohe | More details available soon
25 Nov | Crops 2026 – Foundation for Arable Research event | Canterbury | Register >>
30 Nov | Vegetables Big Day Out – Speaker Expressions of Interest close | Submit >>
1 Dec | Horticulture New Zealand Scholarships | Apply >>
View the events calendar
Find out about the horticulture industry events and activities that are currently happening.
Seasonal Watch
November outlook
A very strong El Niño is expected to continue influencing New Zealand, bringing stronger westerly weather patterns. Drier conditions are favoured in the north and east of the North Island, while the west and far south of the South Island are expected to be wetter.
For growers: Keep an eye on local rainfall, soil moisture and changing conditions, as the outlook varies significantly between regions.
More information: Earth Sciences New Zealand | MetService
