History and future
While the New Zealand Seed Potato Certification Authority has been responsible for seed potato certification since 1988, New Zealand's history of potato seed certification stretches back to 1927. That was when the Department of Agriculture (as it was then called) ran a successful trial scheme involving 11 varieties and 190 acres planted in Canterbury.
The Department continued to operate the field and tuber inspection service until 1971 when it decided to stop inspecting tubers and instead focus on field health. The Potato Board subsequently picked up tuber inspection. Then, in 1985, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (as the Department of Agriculture had become) decided to move out of seed certification altogether and the Potato Board took over completely. Only three years later, the Potato Board was disestablished following a government review, and potato growers became part of the New Zealand Vegetable and Potato Growers' Federation (VegFed). VegeFed subsequently took over certification and established the New Zealand Seed Potato Certification Authority. Today the Authority is part of, and run by, Potatoes New Zealand.
For a more detailed account of the history of seed certification in New Zealand, read The History of Potato Seed Certification in New Zealand 1927-2000 by H B Maunder.
The future of seed potato certification - improving the quality assurance programme
In 2005, Potatoes New Zealand undertook a review of the seed potato certification operations, processes and rules, and is in the process of adopting several recommendations. Read the full review findings.
The seed potato certification review identified a number of initiatives to improve seed potato quality. As a result of the recommendation to require growers to implement a quality assurance system for monitoring the quality of seed tubers during grading, the Grower's Guide to Seed Potato Tuber Inspection was created for growers. Another recommendation, which was implemented, was to create a best practice guide for seed potato handling and storage.
Potatoes New Zealand is currently focusing on ensuring all growers involved in developing, growing, storing and transporting seed potatoes register in a quality assurance programme. There are a number of quality assurance programmes available including New Zealand GAP (Good Agricultural Practice) and other programmes.
At the moment most seed potato growers are part of the Authority's scheme, and some are also registered to New Zealand GAP. However, currently the people who grow the seed cultivars, and those who freight and store the seed potatoes, are not required to follow any quality assurance programme. Potatoes New Zealand is concerned that this creates a significant breakdown in the ability to fully certify seed potatoes as a quality product.
That is why we would like to see the entire process covered by a quality insurance programme from the laboratory stage, right up until they are planted as a 'mother crop' by table or process potato growers. The aim is to have all participants in the seed potato industry value chain registered to a programme by October 2011.
