02/10/06 First chipping spuds shipped to Japan

Farm and Ranch February 10, 2006 This was an historic week for Washington and U.S. potato growers. Tim O' Connor of the US Potato Board explained why during a visit to the Washington State Potato Conference in Moses Lake. O'Connor: "Japan was a great success for us this week. We shipped a load of U.S. chipping potatoes to a Japanese chip manufacturer. They will process them in their plant, process them into chips to sell in-country. That is the first shipment of fresh potatoes that's ever gone to Japan from the United States." Washington is one of 14 states that won initial access to the Japanese chip market. Matt Harris, Director of International Trade for the Washington State Potato Commission, says the industry has been fighting for 25 years to access the Japanese market and it was finally successful through a broad partnership of government leaders and private industry. That partnership included a 50-thousand dollar grant in 2001 from the Washington Department of Agriculture that helped the Potato Commission put on seminars in Japan for chip manufacturers. And the Potato Board's O'Connor says those chip makers wanted our potatoes. O' Connor: "Actually we are filling a gap where these chip manufacturers actually run out of potatoes and they have to tell consumers in Japan, I'm sorry we can't make any chips. So it's the chip manufacturers in Japan who have really wanted access to our product so they can keep a 12-month supply in front of their customers." That's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report. Brought to you in part by the Washington State Potato Commission. Nutrition today! Good health tomorrow! I'm Bob Hoff on the Northwest Ag Information Network.