Potato Bytes
Potato News
Friday, February 22, 2008
Click Here for Previous Issues of Potato Bytes
Northern Plains Potato Growers Association
Office News
From NPPGA President, Duane Maatz - Thank you for attending the Annual Meeting, Meritorious Service Awards Banquet and International Crop Expo. Our presenters at the Expo did a very good job as did the committee in preparing the entire slate of events. A special thank you goes to Diane and Ted in the Association Office for all of their work in making our activities successful.
I hope everyone took the opportunity to introduce themselves to our Extension Agent for Potatoes, Nick David. Don’t be afraid to contact him with your questions. He is enthusiastic to meet our growers and associates to assist you where possible.
As always, we will evaluate our activities and look for positive changes in future years. We appreciate your comments and ideas as well.
Next week is the National Potato Council Public Policy Conference in Washington DC. Our NPC Board members will be attending the meeting during which we will meet with agency personnel as well as our elected delegation. This is an important activity as the congress is looking to the conference committee to finalize the current proposed Farm Bill and get it sent to the President’s desk for signature.
Along with our Farm Bill concerns, we have appropriations requests, mostly in the form of research funding. Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service (CSREES) funding has historically supported the Special Potato Grant program. Some of these highly successful programs have suffered funding cuts in recent years and we are working to reinstate those funds to once again strengthen their programming capabilities.
We have supported the AgJobs legislation as our best current alternative for immigration reform as it impacts agriculture. Several industries along with agriculture need the labor stabilizing reforms this legislation would bring.
The schedule and agenda of this meeting has changed slightly allowing for one less travel day. Most participants will be able to return late Wednesday from the DC area.
Here at the office, we are looking forward to working with new Chairman of the Board of Directors Bob Moe during the upcoming year.
From NPPGA Marketing Director, Ted Kreis – Fresh Market Unchanged - Fresh potato markets have been relatively unchanged the past few weeks, with prices for size-A reds still around $14/cwt. in totes, which is almost $5 higher than last year at this time. Shipments however are beginning to fall behind last year’s pace, a will likely do so for the rest of the shipping season as inventories are far below last year’s levels. Many of the smaller sheds in the Valley have already closed or will shortly, however, several of the larger sheds indicate they will be shipping through much of May.
February 1 Potato Stocks Up- USDA-NASS February 1 stocks-on-hand-report indicates 13.6 million cwt. more potatoes on hand than last year at the same time. Nearly all the increase is in the Northwest. Washington is reporting by far the biggest increase with 11.5 million cwt. more potatoes than last year. Michigan is the only state outside the Northwest to show higher stocks-on-hand than last year. North Dakota is down 2 million cwt. and Minnesota is down 100,000 cwt. Over-all U.S. stocks are 206.2 million cwt., about 7% higher than last year. Some experts are calling into question the report, and think the current USDA inventory is too high.
Busy Week Concludes - Another Annual Meeting and International Crop Expo are under our belts, and both were very well attended despite the extreme weather. Poor driving conditions on Tuesday kept about 20 registered guests from attending the annual meeting and banquet, but despite that, 134 people were served, about the same as last year. Wednesday morning’s -33 degrees set a record, but even that didn’t deter folks from attending the Expo. Vendors were very happy with the traffic by their booths and equipment displays. Keynote speaker David Kohl’s (pictured right) address on current and future economic trends in agriculture, packed the Ballroom at the Alerus Center on Wednesday.
BYTES TRIVIA – Last week’s Trivia winner was Karen Radke of Mentor, MN. Karen knew Memphis is the home of the Beale Street Blues.
Here is this week’s Trivia question: What ingredient in fresh milk is eventually devoured by bacteria, causing the sour taste? Send your answer to tkreis@nppga.org. The winner will receive a pair of “Powered by Potatoes” license plate holders.
THIS WEEK’S DEEP THOUGHT: How can someone "draw a blank"?
Industry News
From the National Potato Council - Negotiations on the Farm Bill Heat up This Week |
Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee Collin Peterson (D-MN) met with the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance on Monday and provided a brief outline of his plans to move towards finalizing the 2007 Farm Bill that the President could sign. He indicated to the group that the Senate has not agreed to this but he feels strongly that negotiating an agreement with the White House that will prevent a veto is the most likely strategy to produce a Farm Bill in the next 45 days. The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance also met with Senator Debbie Stabenow, who has been selected as a conferee for the Farm Bill Conference process, to hear what she had to say about the progress in the Senate on finalizing the Farm Bill. She indicated that the Senate would like a Farm Bill but would not just bend to the Administration’s demands. She is confident, though, that they will be able to come to an agreement between the House and the Senate and send a bill to the President for him to sign by March 15 th. However, the Alliance relayed that any bill that is agreed to must include our top policy priorities related to pest and disease, research, specialty crop block grants and the fruit and vegetable snack program. The next couple of days will be critical in this discussion to see if a deal on the Farm Bill can be realized. |
|
NPC Urges Congress to Ratify Colombia FTA |
This week, the NPC joined 27 other agriculture organizations that work cooperatively on resolving trade barriers and issues in sending a letter to all members of Congress urging them to oppose a long-term extension of the Andean Trade Preference and Drug Eradication Act and to immediately ratify the Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA) and support fair and two-way trade with Colombia. Passage of the Colombia TPA would not only extend the benefits encompassed in the preferences but, at the same time, provide our farmers, ranchers, food companies and workers the same benefits repeatedly bestowed by Congress on Colombian exporters, whereas failure to pass the Colombia TPA will continue to disadvantage America's food and agricultural producers. In 2006, the United States ran a $611 million deficit in agriculture and a $2.56 billion dollar deficit in overall trade with Colombia. Passage of the TPA will provide reciprocal trade benefits and thereby generate U.S. exports, create U.S. jobs and enhance the economic well-being of U.S. farming communities. |
NPC Representatives Attend NAPPO Potato Panel Meeting |
NPC Executive Vice President and CEO John Keeling, former NPC President Dan Moss and several representatives of state potato organizations participated in the North American Plant Protection Organization’s Potato Panel meeting held this week in Phoenix, Arizona. The Potato Panel is made up of plant health officials from the United States, Canada and Mexico, as well as industry representatives. NAPPO is chartered with harmonizing science-based regulatory approaches that protect each country’s phytosanitary health while facilitating trade. Panel members reviewed current regulatory issues involving the PVY virus complex, golden and pale cyst nematodes, establishing and maintaining pest free areas, and reviewing the current NAPPO Potato Standard. |
NPC Participates in Washington State Potato Conference |
Last week John Keeling, NPC Executive Director and CEO, spoke to the Washington State Potato Conference. In his presentation Keeling highlighted current NPC efforts to complete a Farm Bill favorable to specialty crops, the current situation with Golden Nematode in Alberta and the ongoing efforts to expand trade opportunities. |
Golden Nematode Update |
High level meetings and information exchanges between the United States and Canadian regulatory officials continued this week as both countries work to address the impacts of the recent finds of Golden Nematode in Alberta. In discussions with NPC, APHIS officials indicated their intentions to continue to work with Canadian officials to see that adequate survey work is completed before any changes in the current regulatory restrictions are altered. Additional meetings at the technical level are planned for next week to begin the process of delineating the steps that can be taken when fields in Canada thaw to begin survey work that will allow shipments of seed potatoes from Canada to the United States for 2009 planting. NPC is encouraging APHIS to make the options for testing and clearing fields for seed potato production and shipment known to growers in the United States and Canada as soon as possible. |
From the Minnesota Dept. of Ag - Attend U of M Agricultural Drainage Workshops - Subsurface (tile) drainage systems is the topic of the annual Agricultural Drainage Design and Water Management workshop to be held March 11 and 12 at the Holiday Inn and Willmar Conference Center, 2100 Highway 12 East, Willmar. The workshop will focus on planning, design, conservation, safety and legal issues of agricultural drainage water management. University of Minnesota Extension is sponsoring the workshop in partnership with Iowa State University Extension and industry partners. (More at http://www.extension.umn.edu/extensionnews/2008/drainageworkshops.html)
From the North Dakota Ag Dept. – Johnson Announces $7.5 Million Sale to Cuba – North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson announced today that the Cuban government will take delivery of around 12,000 tons of pulses in the near future. The purchase, sourced in large part from North Dakota, is for mostly peas and some lentils. “The total package is valued at approximately $7.5 million,” said Johnson, who is leading a 12-member North Dakota trade delegation to Cuba this week. “North Dakota leads the U.S. in the production of both dry peas and lentils, and the Cubans appreciate both the quality and reliable supply.”
Johnson said negotiations on Cuban purchases of North Dakota potatoes is being held up by U.S. approval of phytosanitary protocols, the official rules for preventing the introduction and or spread of quarantine pests and diseases. “I was assured that the final copy of U.S. phytosanitary protocols for table potatoes had been sent to Cuba several weeks ago,” he said. “We got down here and learned that neither the Cubans nor our own government representatives in Havana have seen them yet.”
Johnson said the protocols for both potato table stock and seed stock must be signed by both countries before North Dakota potatoes can be sent to Cuba. “Every time I have been here, I have been asked about potatoes, especially seed potatoes,” he said. “It is obvious that Cuba is a strong, potential market for our potatoes, and it is imperative that our government complete this paperwork, so we can start shipping them.”
Johnson said the delegation is now negotiating on the sale of other commodities, specifically dry distillers grains (DDGs) and beans. “Cuba is definitely in the market for DDGs – we saw them being used for feed on dairy operations – and we are working to supply them,” he said. “With North Dakota projected to triple its ethanol production over the next couple of years, we should have plenty of this co-product for sale.”
Johnson, who has led seven trade missions to Cuba, said the announcement of Cuban President Fidel Castro that he will step down from office has had no impact on the trade mission. “People here have been very accepting of it and recognize that it was coming,” he said. “They are expecting a smooth transfer of power.”
The delegation met with leading government officials, including Minister of Foreign Trade Raúl de la Nuez Ramirez; Josefina Vidal Ferreiro, director of the North America Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Alejandro Mustelier Zamora, vice president of Alimport, Cuba’s principal food import agency. In addition to dairy operations, the group also visited potato, corn and bean farms.
Other members of the North Dakota delegation are Randy Schneider, Bismarck, North Dakota Ethanol Producers Association; Alan Juliuson, Hope, Northarvest Bean Growers Association; Darren Kadlec, Pisek, Kadlec Farms; Mark and Kristin Kok, Plaza, Great Northern Agriculture; Eric Bartsch, Bismarck, United Pulse Trading; Ken Bertsch, Fargo, State Seed Department; Brian Baglien, East Grand Forks, Tobiasson Potato Co.; Jessica Kolden, Garrison, JM Grain; Bart Schott, Kulm, North Dakota Corn Utilization Council, and Stephanie Sinner, North Dakota Department of Agriculture.
The delegation returns Friday.
Congress Urged to Link Food Programs, Local Producers- The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) has urged Congress to encourage the use of locally produced food products in federal nutrition programs. “These programs help ensure that good nutrition is available to everyone,” said North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner and NASDA President Roger Johnson. “At the same time, these programs are providing agricultural producers with new markets for fresh fruits, vegetables ands other commodities.”
In a letter to U.S. Sens. Tom Harkin and Saxby Chambliss, the chairman and ranking member of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, Johnson and the NASDA members said the goals of federal nutrition programs are best achieved when there is a connection between nutrition program recipients and those who farm close to them. “This approach also reduces the distance food must travel, which in turn helps shrink both our overall carbon footprint and the transportation costs associated with these programs,” Johnson said. “By buying directly from local producers, program administrators improve efficiency and accountability while helping to sustain local agricultural operations.”
Johnson said the NASDA membership endorsed the letter during the group’s recent midyear conference in Washington.
Items for Potato Bytes? - If you would like to submit an item or announce an upcoming event in Potato Bytes, or if you have a story idea for the Valley Potato Grower magazine, please call (218) 773-3633 or send an e-mail to communication@nppga.org.
