In August of this year BFVG was pleased to win the tender service for executive officer of the Australian Sweetpotato Growers Inc (ASPG) who are the peak industry body representing all sweet potato farmers in Australia.
In addition to my role as chief executive officer of BFVG, I’ll now also take on this important role advocating and supporting Australia’s sweet potato farmers. Interestingly sweet potatoes are actually not a potato they belong to a totally different family of root vegetable and there is much contention as to whether the word sweet potato is one word or two, after consultation it was agreed industry would use sweet potato as one word to differentiate from English potatoes (the potato consumers regularly purchase).
Sweet potatoes are produced all year-round with higher volumes between February-June.
Queensland is the biggest producer with 88 per cent of the area grown centred mainly in Bundaberg.
The second major producing area is around Cudgen in northern New South Wales. Sweet potatoes are also grown at Mareeba, Atherton, Rockhampton and the Lockyer Valley (QLD), Murwillumbah (NSW), Perth, Carnarvon and Kununurra (WA).
There are four main categories of sweet potato, the gold variety (which is the most common for consumers), red, purple and white and the industry is valued at $69.2Million (2022/23).
So, what does this exciting new role mean for me?
In addition to the current advocacy and roles I am fulfilling as CEO of BFVG I’m now also the Executive Officer for ASPG and being a National Peak Body, this brings additional roles and advocacy at the National level.
I’ll now be attending Plant Health Australia meetings as sweet potatoes are a signatory to the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed, a government-industry partnership which outlines the governance and investment in responding to and eradicating emergency plant pests.
I’ll also be connecting more with the National Farmers Federation and Queensland Farmers Federation to ensure continued sustainability of the industry moving forward.
I’ll use this added position unashamedly to promote the importance of water security, a secure and reliable workforce and increased funding into biosecurity to ensure our farmers remain productive and profitable.
I’m driven everyday to ensure our decision makers know and value where their food comes from, and this continues to be my passion.
