Potato Bytes
Potato News
Friday, March 14, 2008
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Northern Plains Potato Growers Association
Office News
From NPPGA Marketing Director, Ted Kreis – It’s been a busy week in Denver. Tuesday I attended a meeting for the Fresh Demand Working Group and listened to some of the preliminary plans for dispersing the ‘Goodness Unearthed” message. The Sterling Rice Ad Agency from Colorado has been charged with finding the most effective way of getting the message out on a limited budget. Plans are to target females 25-54 with ads in popular women’s magazines and websites.
Wednesday was spent at United Potato Growers of America meetings. Much of the discussion was centered on regional pricing and an unbalanced supply situation. I also had a chance to do additional preparation for our upcoming United Partners meeting in Grand Forks on Tuesday. All area growers and potential partners are urged to attend this meeting. Corporate partners will tell us how they can help United and Minn-Dak members with financial incentives. The seminar will be held from 9-3 at the Alerus Center. The seminar is free and includes free gifts and a lunch buffet. For more information, or to register call at (218) 773-3633, or email tkreis@nppga.org .
Wednesday was also the start of the USPB Annual Meeting. New board members attending this year are Ben Tucker, Tom Campbell, and Eric Halverson from North Dakota and Tom Wingard from Minnesota. They join Minnesota board members George Cariveau and Bryan Folson from Minnesota and Brent Heisler and Craig Steinbeisser from North Dakota. Minnesota’s Pete Van Erkel was unable to attend.
The most controversial issue on this year’s agenda will be the consideration of a half-cent increase in the assessment. A full report will be in next week’s Bytes.
Deadline Established for United Membership Drive – The Board of Directors for the Red River Valley Fresh Co-op has set March 21 st as the deadline to complete the membership drive for the local co-op. If sufficient membership is not obtained, the Board will reassess the decision to join United Potato Growers of America. Interested fresh growers are urged to contact one of the Board members as soon as possible if they are interested in joining. Those members are Steve Tweten, Paul Dolan, Greg Hall, David Moquist, and Tom Campbell.
BYTES TRIVIA – Last week’s Trivia winner was Kevin Misialek from Simplot Grower Solutions in Grafton. Kevin knew that judges for the World Court are appointed by the United Nations.
Here is this week’s Trivia question: What does the Shamrock represent in the Christian faith? Send your answer to tkreis@nppga.org. The winner will receive a green golf towel.
THIS WEEK’S DEEP THOUGHT: Do people in Australia call the rest of the world "up over"?
Industry News
From the MN Farm Service Agency - March 15 th Deadline for NAP Coverage- Minnesota Farm Service Agency State Executive Director Perry Aasness today reminded producers that the closing date to purchase 2008 Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) is March 15, 2008, for spring seeded annual vegetables, grain crops, and Perennial Forage pastures.
The service fee is $100 per crop per county or $300 per producer per county. The fee cannot exceed a total of $900 per individual with farming interests in multiple counties, regardless of the number of crops covered. Limited resource producers may request a waiver for service fees.
An eligible producer is a landowner, tenant, or sharecropper who shares in the risk of producing an eligible crop. Producers may apply for benefits when losses exceed 50 percent of the approved yield on specific crops. The payment rate is 55 percent of an approved average market price.
Ranchers and farmers should give NAP pasture coverage serious consideration as a cost-effective risk management tool. For only $100, a producer can have NAP protection on unlimited pasture acreage within a county to cover devastating losses from catastrophic weather events, such as drought or flooding.
NAP provides weather related loss protection for all crops commercially produced for food or fiber for which catastrophic risk protection coverage is not available. Eligible crops include fruits and vegetables, mushrooms, floriculture, ginseng, aqua-culture, ornamental nursery crops, Christmas trees, turf grass, sod, industrial crops, and seed used for human consumption or animal feed. Also included are honey and maple sap.
Interested producers should contact their county FSA office by close of business on March 15.
From the National Potato Council - NPC Executive Vice President Meets with Secretary Schafer - This week NPC Executive Vice President and CEO John Keeling met with Secretary of Agriculture Edward Schafer to discuss several key potato industry issues. The meeting was also attended by Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Bruce Knight. In addition to a spirited discussion of winter weather in the Secretary’s home state of North Dakota, the meeting focused on the recent discovery of Golden Nematode in Alberta, expanding U.S. access for fresh potatoes in Mexico and the inclusion of white potatoes in the Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC). The Secretary was knowledgeable about these and other potato issues and offered his help and support in meeting these challenges.
Immigration Changes Proposed - On February 6, 2008, the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Labor announced proposed changes to the H-2A temporary worker program. These changes are intended to streamline the H-2A program. NPC, along with the National Council of Agricultural Employees (NCAE) and other agricultural groups, will be requesting an extension of time in which to provide public comments. The current deadline for comments is March 31, 2008. NPC is currently reviewing the proposed changes to the H-2A program and plans to make public comments. Efforts to identify legislative options that may have the ability to improve the agriculture labor situation and which are capable of passing the House and the Senate and be signed by the President are continuing. The prospects for such a favorable outcome in Congress are not good. The other possibility is that Congress would approve additional enforcement mechanisms that would further complicate the ability of agriculture employers to find a labor force.
Columbia Free Trade Agreement Update - On Wednesday, March 12, 2008, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Chuck Conner held a conference call on the pending Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Deputy Secretary Conner expressed how all efforts are focused on getting an FTA with Columbia. Columbia produces a limited amount of agricultural products, primarily bananas and coffee. Therefore, there is tremendous opportunity for the United States to fill the Colombian consumers' need for additional agricultural products. He explained that the Administration has been doing as much as they can to promote the Columbia FTA by taking Congressional delegates to Columbia to see firsthand the positive changes that have taken place in Columbia. In addition, the Administration has repeatedly met with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee Charles Rangel, as well as many other Congressional members in order to get the Columbia FTA passed. At this time, the Columbia FTA is not scheduled for a vote on the House floor.
NPC Urges Congress to Support Trucking Pilot with Mexico - NPC, as well as over 65 other companies, agricultural and business organizations have signed a letter to urge Congress to permit the full implementation of the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Cross Border Trucking Pilot Program with Mexico consistent with U.S. trade obligations under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The letter states strong opposition to attempts to halt or impede this program, including attempts to restrict funding. Disruption of the program will come at a considerable cost to U.S. workers, farmers, businesses and consumers. U.S. food and agriculture are particularly vulnerable to retaliation given the growth of U.S. farm exports to Mexico and repeated calls from Mexico's agriculture sector for restrictions on U.S. food products. Under NAFTA, U.S. food and agriculture exports have more than tripled, climbing from $3.6 billion in 1993 to over $12 billion in 2007. Mexico is the top export destination for beef, dairy, poultry, rice, soybean meal and oil, corn sweeteners, apples and dry edible bean exports. It is also a major market for pork, corn, soybeans, eggs, vegetable oils, cotton, fresh potatoes, snack foods and other consumer-oriented agricultural goods. There are concerns that further actions to restrict the Mexican truck obligations under NAFTA will lead to Mexico's retaliation against U.S. exporters and workers.
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.
