Calls to scrap WA's spud regulation

Regulation of the potato industry in Western Australia is outdated and must be scrapped to provide more choice for consumers at a lower cost, the opposition says.

Vegetable producer Tony Galati will give away 200 tonnes of spuds - the equivalent of 50,000 large bags - this week after breaching the state's potato laws by growing too much.

The WA Potato Marketing Corporation provides licences and determines who can grow potatoes, how many can be planted and what varieties are grown in the state.

The PMC can also search vehicles suspected of carrying more than 50kg of potatoes.

Opposition spokesman Ben Wyatt said the heavy regulation of potatoes in WA, which began in 1946, was "well past its use by date" and stymied productivity and choice for consumers.

Mr Wyatt said the act should be repealed and the PMC removed.

He said WA was the only state that regulated the market and a transition period would help those being supported by the regime to adjust.

The PMC has been contacted for comment.