Our Smith’s and Red Rock Deli potato chips are made from potatoes grown by Australian farmers across the country.
Over the past few years, many of our farmers have been feeling the impact of the drought on their farms. To help our farmers we are partnering with them on a commercial rollout of Zeba across 10 of our contracted farms.
Zeba is a starch-based, superabsorbent soil enhancement product that has been designed to keep a constant supply of moisture available to germinating seed, seedlings and plants throughout the growing season.
Made from natural cornstarch, each Zeba granule works like a sponge, absorbing in excess of 400 times its original weight in water, forming hydrogels that slowly release moisture back to plants as they need it – making it beneficial to crops that require regular irrigation or regularly suffer drought because it increases the water-holding capacity of the soil.
“The drought has been crippling. The availability and cost of water has been the hardest part, and without extra support form PepsiCo we just wouldn’t be able to continue.” - PepsiCo Potato Grower, Patrick Hope.
“Proactive corporate investment in new on-farm innovation is greatly needed and welcomed – it helps me to be on the front foot. When I heard about Zeba, I saw it as an opportunity to improve my farm by saving and optimising water usage. I will be planting Zeba with half of my potato crops this season.”
PepsiCo works with more than 30 potato growers across the country, some of whom have been growing potatoes for products like Smith’s chips for more than 50 years.