Potatoes New Zealand connects with various women in the industry as part of International Women’s Day and International Year of the Woman Farmer to discover the amazing work they do in the sector.
Name: Sandra D. Martin – B.Sc., Dip.Agr.Sc., M.Agr.Sci., C.H.I.P
Company: Broadfield Plant Propagation Ltd
What do you do in your current role?
In my current role, I run a small business with my husband, where I continue to do Plant Tissue Culture as I did in my main career.
What do you enjoy about your role?
I particularly enjoy working with plants in tissue culture. The material is always changing and evolving.
How long have you been with your organisation?
I worked 44 years on the campus of Plant and Food Research in the Potato Pathogen Tested Scheme as the Scientist involved in plant tissue culture, plant multiplication and virus and disease testing.
I have now been in a small business for approximately four years.
How do you find working in the potato/primary industries?
Working in the Potato/ Primary industry is interesting, and I feel I am doing something worthwhile, aiding an industry and cleaning up an important food source, Potato viruses had become widespread in the industry in the1970s, so I am doing my part to help protect the industry.
Have you encountered any specific challenges?
A specific challenge I found was dealing with over 300 cultivars and lines of Potato. I formed a long-term collection on a specific media and formed a back up collection of mini tubers, maintained by my work partner who was the glasshouse manager of the Potato Pathogen tested Scheme. All the Potato material had to be true to type and disease free.
Can you name a standout moment in your life?
A standout moment in my life was when I was shown the first big harvest in one tonne boxes, three boxes high of Potato tubers that had come entirely from the tissue culture material I had grown. All the material had gone through my hands.
What does your organisation do for inclusion and diversity?
For inclusion and diversity, we employed university students in the summer months, both male and female.
What inspires you?
I am inspired by how adaptable plants are and how they can change to survive.
What do you wish you had known before you started in your profession?
I wish I had known more about the primary industries of New Zealand and what specific subjects were required for different qualifications.
What would you tell other women interested in working in the potato industry?
I would tell another woman interested in working in the Potato/ Primary industries to go to websites such as Potato New Zealand. I would also say that Plant Science and Plant tissue culture is a very interesting entrance into these industries.
International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Significant activity is witnessed worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women’s achievements or rally for women’s equality. #AccelerateAction
Find out more www.internationalwomensday.com
The United Nations declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF 2026). The Year will spotlight the essential roles women play across agrifood systems, from production to trade, while often going unrecognized. Women farmers are central to food security, nutrition and economic resilience. IYWF 2026 will raise awareness and promote actions to close the gender gaps and improve women’s livelihoods worldwide.
Find out more www.fao.org/woman-farmer-2026/en