| 45 T T Kelly Deeks Cultivating our favourite tuber Alex McDonald works with breeders across Europe and the United Kingdom, sourcing varieties for processors such as McCain and Talley’s, crisping companies, and fresh market growers. REGIONAL Alex McDonald “Relationships are a huge part of it as well. We have a lot of multi-generation relationships now. With some growers, we are now working with the third generation of the same family.” Proud to support Alex McDonald and businesses like yours Business Advisors & Chartered Accountants pport Alex McDonald and busines es lik yours. Keen to make your business last the distance? Get in touch. 03 343 4448 | accounting.co.nz Business Coaching & Advice Strategy & Planning Valuations Tech Solutions Accounting & Tax Business Purchase Alex McDonald is marking 85 years in business with a focus on innovation, long-standing grower and breeder relationships, and the seed potato expertise that has helped shape one of Canterbury’s most important horticultural sectors. Established on the Canterbury Plains in 1941, Alex McDonald has grown into a major supplier of high health seed potatoes and new generation varieties for processors, fresh markets, and growers nationwide. Sales manager Logan Hughes says the 85-year milestone reflects a business that has adapted through decades of change while staying focused on service and product performance. “It comes back to keeping up the quality, listening to feedback about what people want, and what new products we can bring in. “Relationships are a huge part of it as well. We have a lot of multi-generation relationships now. With some growers, we are now working with the third generation of the same family.” Those long-standing ties remain important in a sector where reliability and paddock performance directly affect returns. Alex McDonald has now moved into its fifth season operating its purpose-built Templeton glasshouse facility since taking sole ownership of its 50-year-old Pathogen Tested Certification Scheme, previously run in a joint venture with Plant & Food Research. Taking ownership of the programme has given Alex McDonald more direct control over introducing and assessing new varieties. The facility is central to bringing new potato genetics into New Zealand. Because raw potatoes cannot be imported under biosecurity rules, varieties arrive as micro plants, then grown into mini tubers before field multiplication with contracted growers. That local trial stage is critical because many varieties are bred in Europe and must prove themselves in New Zealand conditions. “It is hard to judge a variety from a plantlet that looks like a blade of grass,” Logan says. “Once it turns into a small tuber and goes into paddocks here, you start to see how it tolerates and grows locally.” Alex McDonald works with breeders across Europe and the United Kingdom, sourcing varieties for processors such as McCain and Talley’s, crisping companies, and fresh market growers. Every three years company representatives travel offshore to inspect breeding programmes and field trials, then identify the strongest options for New Zealand growers. “The benefit of having multiple breeders is if one does not have what you need, another one will,” Logan says. That pipeline of new genetics is increasingly valuable as growers face rising fuel, freight, labour, and production costs. Older varieties may still perform, but Logan says newer lines can offer faster growth, stronger disease resistance, and better yields from the same inputs. “That can bring growers’ costs down. Fuel is a big issue for this industry, especially when harvesting, and moving from one paddock can sometimes mean 10 to 15 truckloads.” For Alex McDonald, the 85-year milestone is both a celebration of history and proof specialist regional businesses can continue to thrive by evolving with the market. “We are proud of where we have come from,” Logan says. “But the biggest thing is making sure we keep improving, keep listening, and keep delivering for the next generation as well.”
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