Australia: Potato Output Reaches 1.53 Million Tonnes as Yields Climb to 40.8 t/ha

Australia produced 1.53 million tonnes of potatoes in 2024, according to FAOSTAT data published by Our World in Data. That is 28% more than the 1.20 million tonnes of 2000. The average yield rose from 28.5 t/ha to 40.8 t/ha over the same period.

Growth was not linear. Output fell to 1.08 million tonnes in 2020, then jumped to 1.46 million tonnes in 2021. It stayed near that level in 2022 and 2023.

Two states grow most of the crop

The Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook 2022/23 gives the state picture, as reported by ABC News. The industry produces about 1.4 million tonnes per year. Tasmania grew 458,000 tonnes and South Australia 433,000 tonnes. Victoria followed with 263,000 tonnes, then New South Wales with 158,000 tonnes. Queensland produced 80,000 tonnes and Western Australia 68,000 tonnes.

Tasmania and South Australia together supplied about 61% of the state total. The report names three companies as major investors in industry infrastructure: McCain, PepsiCo and Simplot.

Value above A$1 billion

The value of production passed A$1 billion for the first time in 2022/23. It increased by 24% in one year, according to the handbook data. Australia also exported more than 40,000 tonnes of potatoes that year. The main markets were South Korea and the Philippines.

Close to European yields

A yield of 40.8 t/ha puts Australia close to leading European producers. FAOSTAT shows 42.4 t/ha in France and 41.7 t/ha in the Netherlands for 2024. The United States reached 50.9 t/ha and New Zealand 51.3 t/ha. Australian yields in 2023 were 40.6 t/ha, so the level now looks stable.

Zašto je važno

Australia has a small crop by world standards but high productivity. Production is concentrated: two states grow about 61% of the crop. Weather or contract changes in these states therefore move the national total.

A few large processors shape demand for contracted crops. Exports to Asia remain small, at about 3% of output, but give growers an extra outlet. For suppliers, the market is mature; gains will come from efficiency and quality rather than volume.

Photo: Harvesting potatoes near Crookwell, New South Wales, Australia (illustrative). Gregory Heath, CSIRO / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0