LOW CARB POTATO SET TO HIT NEW HIGH T&G may be 120 years old, but the company is still at the forefront of revolutionary research and development – and the latest offering from the Kiwi icon is the Lotato. Potato growers in Pukekohe and Ohakune working with the company have produced a naturally-bred potato that has 40% less carbs and calories than common potato varieties. The potato growers working with T&G (originally Turners & Growers) have produced a naturally bred delicious flavoursome Lotato with 40% less carbs and calories than common potato varieties. Just like with apples, kiwifruit and countless other staple New Zealand produce, by simply cross-breeding different varieties of potato together the team have created a product that looks and tastes like a potato. Lotatoes grower Jay Masters says lotatoes are “the spuds of our dreams and we’re so excited that Kiwis get to bring their love of potatoes back to the dinner table.” T&G’s Michelle Singh says lotatoes are a long awaited innovation. “They’ve been more than five years in the making and we’re thrilled to bring a new and improved staple back to the limelight.” Nutritionist Abbie O’Rourke says recent trends have put potatoes out of favour with many, “and is often replaced with lower carbohydrate or lower calorie alternatives. Lotatoes puts them back at the top of the shopping list. They’re nutritious, delicious and a great source of Vitamin B6, potassium and dietary fibre.” Lotatoes are also good for the environment, with a growing cycle that is 25% shorter than other varieties, which means less water requirements. www.lotatoes.co.nz www.foodtechnology.co.nz 61 “As an industry, we need to remain focused on this, alongside biosecurity, sustainability and food safety – all aspects of business we take very seriously.” Employing 1300 people across New Zealand and 200 overseas, T&G also recruits around 2000 seasonal workers each year and is on target to achieve $2 billion in revenue by 2022. It is also the country’s biggest exporter of fresh fruit and vegetables. Total New Zealand horticulture products recently exceeded $8 billion for the first-time, outdoing wine exports and making the industry’s target of $10 billion by 2020 possible. Innovation has continued, with T&G recently launching New Zealand’s first lower carb potato and revolutionising the tomato category with its bite-sized Beekist and Ruby’s brands. Earlier this year T&G’s Envy apple was named an American favourite and July marks 58 years since former chairman Jack Turner coined the name ‘Kiwifruit’, starting a billion-dollar export industry for New Zealand. 2008 The purchase of KeriFresh makes Turners & Growers the largest citrus grower, and the sale of ENZA kiwifruit starts in Asia 2012 German company BayWa, which has global investments across the building, energy and agriculture sectors, buys 72.5% of Turners & Growers 2014 Company acquires Apollo Apples, opens an office in China to support the rapid growth in Asa, and rebrands Right: Alastair Hulbert, Don Turner and Hon Louise Upston Below: Karena and Kasey with Jo Jalfon (middle) Memorandum of Understanding with Zespri to market kiwifruit in South East 2015 2016 Signs Asia. Rebrands Delica to T&G Global and forms an exclusive sales and distribution deal with All Good Fairtrade for organic bananas 2012 ENZAFoods celebrates 50 years. 2010 Forms joint venture with Wakatu to create New Zealand’s largest ENVY apple orchard. Invests in asparagus joint venture with Boyd’s Asparagus 2017 Celebrates 120th birthday in tandem with the AGM. T&G achieved a 2016 record revenue of $872m, an increase of 7% on 2015. The Group achieved a 2016 profit before tax of $42.1m, compared to $24.7m in 2015, primarily because of strong increases in the profitability of the pipfruit division and the New Zealand produce division, along with a gain associated with the sale of the crate business. Total net assets increased by $26m to $347m.
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