04/24/06 Some spud exports shut off

Farm and Ranch April 24, 2006 U.S. trading partners are reacting to the announcement last week by USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service that the potato cyst nematode was detected in Idaho, the first such find in the United States. Keeling: "And a variety of them are suspending some shipments from the U.S. Largely just suspending Idaho, although Japan suspended all shipments of fresh potatoes." That's John Keeling of the National Potato Council. Japan's action closed the door to a market for chipping potatoes that just opened for U.S. and northwest potatoes earlier this year. Canada and Mexico took action only against Idaho potatoes. Keeling says the U.S. is being very transparent about the situation. Keeling: "APHIS has invited representatives from the all the countries potentially impacted to come here, to go to the command center they have set up in Idaho, and have access to all the data we are collecting and analyze it. Beyond that, that's about all we can do." The potato cyst nematode does not pose any threat to human health but can significantly reduce potato yields. State and federal officials have isolated the origin of the cysts to two Idaho fields totaling about 500 acres, which were being placed under quarantine. The pest was discovered during routine surveillance of dirt from a potato processing facility. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.