House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1) 52 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Potato Industry POTATO INDUSTRY Mr PICCOLO House of Assembly Light POTATO INDUSTRY Mr PICCOLO (Light) (14:38): My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries. Can the minister please advise the house of any recent scientific achievements obtained by the South Australian Research and Development Institute in relation to the potato industry? The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN House of Assembly Napier Minister for Agriculture Minister for Forests Minister for Regional Development Minister for the Northern Suburbs POTATO INDUSTRY The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN (Napier—Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Northern Suburbs) (14:38): I thank the member for Light for the question. I think the response is actually quite applicable to about five or six electorates on this side of the house so you might want to actually listen. It gives me great satisfaction to announce a ground-breaking scientific achievement of international significance to the potato industry by our state government funded scientists at the South Australian Research and Development Institute, which we know as SARDI. This achievement helps Australia's $650 million potato industry to combat potato diseases. Damage and yield losses from potato diseases are the most significant production challenge faced by our industry, costing processors and growers more than $80 million a year. That is the cost of around 12 per cent of total production. That is quite a significant margin. I am pleased to be able to report to the house that SARDI scientists have developed DNA tests that can quickly and accurately measure major disease-causing pathogens on seed and soil before planting. The tests identify the major diseases that afflict potatoes, and research teams on the UK, South Africa and New Zealand are now partnering with SARDI to use these tests on an international basis. It is common sense that you cannot manage what you cannot measure, so these tests represent a major advance that will enable growers to assess major disease risk prior to planting and give them the information needed to develop options to prevent or reduce losses. This translates into better disease management resulting in more marketable, appealing potatoes for processors and consumers. This achievement is no accident. For more than a decade, SARDI scientists have developed an internationally respected profile in DNA and molecular diagnostics for primary industries and they have made great inroads into the grain industry, and I believe that Elders and Landmark use SARDI products right throughout the nation in relation to diagnostic work in the grain sector. Today's achievement highlights the importance of this capability and has underpinned the state government's ongoing support of research and development South Australia and its SARDI scientists. South Australia is the largest producing state in Australia, contributing more than $260 million in potato value—that is over 30 per cent of the nation's production—making development of potato DNA testing a great asset in protecting one of this state's really important industries. I note that the member for Mount Gambier is taking particular interest, and I will come to the place of his electorate in the overall scheme of things. Potato production is carried out in the electorates of Light (the electorate of the asker of the question), Taylor, Chaffey, Hammond, MacKillop and Mount Gambier. Mr Pengilly interjecting: The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN House of Assembly The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN: And Finniss. Mr van Holst Pellekaan House of Assembly Mr van Holst Pellekaan: And Stuart. The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN House of Assembly The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN: And Stuart—I will add those to the website. Google let me down on this one. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN House of Assembly The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN: The SARDI breakthrough will—and this is particularly important for the electorate of Mount Gambier—have a particular benefit for the South-East where potatoes are grown for processing in particular. This sector is under significant challenge from cheap potato chip imports, and being able potentially to cut production costs by 12 per cent will put the South-East, we hope, back into the game. Trials will commence in the South-East, I am informed, within the next 12 months. SARDI has informed me that producers around the state are really eager to get their hands on this particular technology. I commend SARDI for this breakthrough.