Welcome to Alex McDonald (Merchants) Ltd

Alex McDonald (Merchants) Ltd was started by Mr Alex McDonald in 1941 specialising in Grain, Seed & Produce.

During the earlier years of the Company, trading in potatoes was carried out along with handling other products produced around Canterbury, New Zealand.

In the 1950's Alex McDonald (Merchants) Ltd became specialised in seed potatoes with growers producing varieties in Canterbury for the North Island requirements.

In 1976 we entered a Joint Venture Program with Crop & Food Research Ltd for the production of potatoes using the tissue culture method. After 4 years trialling, this was accepted by NZ M.A.F. and Crop & Food Research Ltd as a worthwhile improvement in the production of quality seed potatoes and we entered a long term joint venture at that time. This carries on today with a contract operating with Crop & Food Research Ltd - Lincoln where we employ 2 full time scientists using glass house facilities provided by Crop & Food Research Ltd.

This forms the basis of the Pathogen Tested Certification Scheme which now handles approximately 75% of the seed potatoes required in New Zealand. We produce approximately 30 commercial varieties which are now used for New Zealand demand. In addition we carry out extensive trial work for new varieties being entered from the following overseas Potato Breeders with whom we act as P.V.R. Agents, namely:

• Holland - HZPC

• Scotland - Caithness Potato Breeders Ltd

• Germany - Solana Agrar-Produkte Gmb H & Co

• America - North Dakota State University.

We are also actively involved in marketing the overseas bred varieties that, after trialling, prove to be suitable to New Zealand conditions and requirements.

We have a total of over 100 cultivars either in production or trials. New varieties are introduced and trialled for both the ware market and the process market.

We operate an export ware potato packhouse at Springston - situated South of Christchurch, and seed potato grading and packing facilities at Darfield and Methven - West of Christchurch.

Over recent years Alex McDonald (Merchants) Ltd has exported seed potatoes to Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Thailand. Our Company is keen to expand our export seed potato business using New Zealand bred varieties, some of these varieties Alex McDonald (Merchants) Ltd own the Plant Variety Rights to.

In trialling these New Zealand bred varieties in the South East Asian region, they have so far proved to be very suitable in that they are all vigorous growing, and also most of the varieties are of relatively short dormancy.

A description of these varieties are listed in the varieties section.

Who are our customers in New Zealand?

Alex McDonald (Merchants) Ltd market our seed potatoes directly to processors, growers, pre-packers and established seed potato merchants in minimum of 1 tonne bulk lots. We do not retail or mail small pre-packaged seed potatoes within New Zealand or overseas.