Australia: Thorpdale potato growers still harvesting due to flat market

The produce was harvested and packed weeks ago but cannot be sold.

The market is so flat that farmers, who have spent tens of thousands of dollars growing and harvesting these vegetables, now cannot sell them.

Grower Des Jennings said some potatoes would be fed to livestock.

"Basically most people are selling below the cost of production," he said.

"It’s probably the first season I’ve known where potatoes haven’t cleared. Usually there’s a few left but it’s only small amounts, but this year it’s quite big amounts. Some people have a lot of potatoes left in their sheds."

Mr Jennings said many of Australia’s potato regions had had strong growing seasons, leading to an oversupply.

"Sales have been very, very slow this year," he said.

"There are far too many potatoes around. Crops have been exceptional, right through South Australia and right up the eastern seaboard."

In addition to the potatoes waiting to be sold in sheds, there are still plenty in the ground.

It is unusual for Thorpdale potato growers to still be harvesting during July.

The region is known for its rich, red volcanic soil that is highly fertile and perfect for horticulture.

Thorpdale’s rolling red hills, pretty steep in patches, make it difficult to harvest late in the season.

Cold weather and rain mean dragging heavy farm machinery, like a harvester, up a hill becomes a very slow process.

Mr Jennings said it was taking him twice as long to harvest his produce.

"We’ve still got a month to go and normally we’d be finished by mid-June," he said.

"It’s not what you’d call a wet season, but it just hasn’t dried out. It is very, very difficult to harvest under those circumstances, probably doubling the harvesting time.

"It’s a bit of a worry going forward because we can’t sustain too many of these type of years. A lot of people will lose their farms and ultimately go out of business."