diseAse identiFiCAtiOn Jeff Miller jeff@millerresearch.com
MArKet rePOrt Ben eborn napmn@napmn.com
POtAtO GrOwers OF wAshinGtOn dale Lathim
editOriAL inFOrMAtiOn
Potato Country is interested in newsworthy material related to potato production and marketing. Contributions from all segments of the industry are welcome. Submit news releases, new product submissions, stories and photos via email to: editor@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com.
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Email address changes/corrections to: brian@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com or send to Potato Country, PO Box 333, Roberts, ID 83444. Potato Country magazine (ISSN 0886-4780), is published eight times per year and mailed under a standard rate mailing permit at Idaho Falls, Idaho and at additional mailing offices. It is produced by: Columbia Media Group, PO Box 333, Roberts, ID 83444 Copyright 2025. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose without the express written permission of Columbia Media Group.
telling the story
Story and photos by Denise Keller, Editor
After joining the family farm almost a decade ago, fourth-generation potato grower Damon Christensen is finding his place not only on the farm but in the potato industry. Christensen is about to wrap up his first year of a three-year term on the Washington State Potato Commission (WSPC), and he attended the Potato Industry Leadership Institute (PILI) last year.
“I hope my time being involved isn’t short, and I hope I can make something of it – not just for me, but for our industry as a whole,” Christensen said.
Serving on the WSPC’s government affairs committee, the grower is already putting to good use the new skills he learned at PILI. The 10-day program provides up-and-coming leaders with an overview of the U.S. potato industry. The 2024 program began in Idaho with
leadership training and industry tours and, as always, concluded in Washington, D.C., where participants spent time talking with lawmakers and using their voices to gain support for the industry.
“I am out of place in D.C., but that’s the beauty of it. Business can be done from a distance through letters and Zoom, but some of the best business can be had shaking a hand and looking someone in the eyes and using that to further what you need to do. When they feel that this is going to change a livelihood, having that experience there is better,” Christensen said.
Christensen said being a leader in the industry is an opportunity to tell the story of agriculture.
“There’s a lot of misinformation and inferred information out there about the ag community which is not true. Part of
being able to squash that is being able to tell our story and to do it the right way. We need not be afraid of telling our story,” he said. “We’re trying to make a living, trying to feed people and doing what we love.”
testing technology
Christensen’s story is set in Mattawa, Washington, where his family grows 2,100 acres of potatoes. In addition, they grow 700 acres of fresh-market onions, as well as wheat and beans when ground availability allows. Potato ground is planted in several line selections of Russet Norkotah for the fresh market.
With no two years alike in the potato business, the farm faces a variety of growing challenges, from pests and diseases to weeds and weather. Longer stretches of higher temperatures during
Damon Christensen with Del Christensen and Sons grows 2,100 acres of potatoes for the fresh market in Mattawa, Wash.
deL Christensen & sOns
to find which one works and which one doesn’t. I’ve had plenty that don’t work and plenty that do work, and sometimes you sit there and scratch your head and wonder why did that work and this one didn’t,” Christensen says. “It makes you want to keep trying.”
Today, Christensen farms with his dad and three brothers. A pair of brothers manages the packing operations, with Dexter taking the lead on potato packing and Alex running the onion sheds. Meanwhile, the other two brothers run the farm, with Dallon managing the people and Damon handling agronomy.
“I love doing it. There’s something about putting that little piece of potato in the dirt and watching it come out in the end,” Christensen says. “It’s a fun game. The biggest gamble you can make in life, but it’s a fun game.”
In addition to handling agronomy on his family farm, Damon Christensen is serving on the Washington State Potato Commission.
trucKs
2018 Freightliner M2 ISL Cumm/350hp, Allison Auto Bed Ready
2004 IH 4400 466/300 Hp, Allison Auto Bed ready
2008 IH 8600 ISM Cumm/350hp, Allison Auto Bed Ready
2005 Freightliner M2 C-7 Cat, 300hp, Allison Auto Bed Ready
1996 Ford L9000 Auto, Cummins 2012 Logan 22’ bed
1981 Ford L8000 Tandem Cat 3208 Auto Trans w/ Brownie 20’ bed ready
1978 IH Tandem DS 10spd PTO 20’ bed ready
BulK Beds/BoXes
2007 Double L 901 20’ Front/Rear Drives/ Elec.
2001 Double L 801 20’ Front/Rear Drives/ Combo
1994 Double L 801 20’ Electric Drive
1996 Spudnik 2100 20’ Front/Rear Drives/ Elec.
Pilers
2007 Milestone 36” All Belt, 50’ boom 3ph remote
1999 Double L 831 36” BC Elev/49’ boom 3ph HYD Drive & Remote
1998 Double L 831 36” BC Elev./49’ boom 3ph Elec. Drive & Remote
1994 Spudnik 550 36” All Belt /50’ Boom 3ph Remote
1992 Spudnik 525 36” BC Elev./48’ boom 3ph 230 volt Remote
Thermo Fisher Scientific Versa Flex Checkweigher System Model 40-060
2017 Alliston 48” x 8’ rolling table
Alliston Flume 48’’Wx13’L SS destoner
Kwik Locs
Neu Tech 9 lane weigher Ag Pak bagger 2 Kwik Locs
Grain Treater USC LP2000 with seed wheel
Newhouse 6 row Vine Shredder
seed cutters
2014 Better Built 72” model 400 3ph
1985 Milestone MSC48 48” Cutter
1988 Better Built 36” model 2300
treaters
2013 Better Built CDT10’/10” Duster Chemical auger
2010 Better Built CDT10’/10” Duster
2011 Milestone MSLT36” Liquid Treater new pump
1997 Milestone MSBD36” Barrel Duster
Lockwood Launches new website
Lockwood Manufacturing has updated its website to include an improved dealer locator, quick links to popular tools and a streamlined design to view equipment available for sale. In addition to these interactive features, the company’s product lineup is highlighted on redesigned product pages that incorporate photo slideshows and video links to see the equipment in action. The primary goal of the redesign was to make the site user friendly and responsive across all platforms and devices and to ensure that website visitors can locate information they need quickly. See the new site at lockwoodmfg.com.
Potatoes UsA elects Leaders
Potatoes USA has elected Steve Elfering of Boise, Idaho, as the new chair of the board. Elfering is the CEO of 1,4Group Inc., a family-owned chemical distribution business. He has been involved with Potatoes USA for 14 years. As board chair, Elfering wants to look at the impact of competition in international markets and work to put the best strategy in place for U.S. potatoes.
In addition to Elfering, Potatoes USA’s 2025-26 executive committee includes Shelley Olsen of Othello, Washington; Trever Belnap of Hamer, Idaho; Travis Meacham of Moses Lake, Washington; Jess Blatchford of Baker City, Oregon; Cliff Shaw of Monte Vista, Colorado; Nathan Bender of Bakersfield, California; Wendy Dykstra of Rio, Wisconsin; Hunter Gibbs of Washington, North Carolina; Kathy Sponheim of Urbana, Ohio; and Dave Masser of Sacramento, Pennsylvania.
redox CeO receives recognition
University of Idaho College of Agricultural and Life Sciences annual Alumni Awards.
Moon was honored with the university’s Distinguished Associate Alumni Award for his contributions to agriculture and the university. The university credited Moon for being committed to research, sustainability, regenerative agriculture, healthy soil and plant health since founding Redox BioNutrients more than 30 years ago. Based in Burley, Idaho, Redox Bio-Nutrients provides nutrients and bio-stimulant products designed to improve root development, soil health, nutrient efficiency and abiotic stress defense.
Breeding for Broad resistance to Pvy
By Alexander Karasev and Nora Olsen, University of Idaho
Research at the University of Idaho is helping potato breeders make progress in their efforts to breed potatoes with resistance to all strains of Potato virus Y (PVY).
PVY is a serious problem limiting profitable production of seed potato and affecting yield and tuber quality in commercial potatoes. Robust cultural management programs are used by seed growers to minimize the level of PVY in seed potatoes, but PVY remains a challenge due to the biological nature of PVY infection and spread by aphids. Breeding and introgression of various types of PVY resistance in commercially available potato cultivars is the most effective strategy to manage the virus in the long run. Nevertheless, the use of genetic resistance to PVY is still relatively limited in the potato industry, which continues to rely on virus control through seed certification and control of aphid vectors with mineral oil sprays and insecticides.
One of the main reasons PVY is so difficult to manage in potato is the existence of multiple distinct strains of the virus, which helps the virus overcome traditional control measures. For a long time, potato breeding programs unknowingly relied on strain-specific resistance genes common in commercial potato cultivars. For example, the cultivar may be highly resistant to the ordinary strain of the virus, PVYO, which was the dominant virus in the past. These new potato cultivars carrying strain-specific resistance, in this case placed PVYO under pressure and eventually PVYO disappeared from potato fields in the Pacific Northwest.
A new problem was created: the displaced PVYO strain was immediately replaced with other strains of the virus, primarily by the recombinant PVYNTN
and PVYN-Wi, and unfortunately, the potato variety was only resistant to PVYO (conferred by Ny genes) and not these recombinants. Conceivably, the approach of relying on strain-specific resistance favors the selection of PVY strains overcoming Ny-gene resistance and additionally causing inconspicuous symptoms; hence, instead of limiting PVY spread, it would shift the virus strain composition in the field. An unintended consequence is the preferential selection of strains like PVYNTN, which induce mild symptoms in the foliage of many potato cultivars, but can cause tuber necrotic symptoms in susceptible cultivars such as Yukon Gold.
Nowadays, potato breeding programs place the focus of PVY resistance breeding on a different type of genes, called Ry genes, conferring extreme resistance or immunity to all strains of PVY in potato. Ry genes were found in wild relatives of potato and are now being used in commercial cultivars such as Payette Russet and Castle Russet. To speed up the breeding process, breeders use molecular markers to follow specific genes in the progeny in crosses of prospective parental lines. Using molecular markers, a breeder can identify if a potential cross or numbered line has resistance to PVY. The crucial question comes at the end: how can you be sure that the potato line carrying the marker for an Ry gene is resistant to all strains of PVY? It is important to challenge and validate prospective PVYresistant cultivars with a comprehensive range of PVY strains held in laboratory virus collections.
As part of the federally funded Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) project “Potato Virus Initiative: Developing Solutions,” we experimentally addressed this question about strain
specificity of the Ry gene in potato cultivars such as Payette Russet and Castle Russet. The tool used for these experiments is a large collection of more than 18 different PVY strains and genetic variants maintained in the Virology Laboratory at the University of Idaho. The entire genetic diversity of PVY strains ever found in the United States is represented in this collection. Several of the virus strains are from outside of the U.S. and some are from non-potato hosts.
For instance, under greenhouse conditions, Payette Russet is completely immune to PVY isolates representing 18 different strains and genetic variants, including all found in North America. As a control or comparison, potato cultivars with only strain-specific resistance conferred by Ny genes, or no resistance at all, could easily be infected with the PVY strains. In these experiments, we confirmed that the Rysto resistance gene available in the Payette Russet genome confers broad and robust protection against all the PVY strains from the University of Idaho collection. Hence, the exciting news is that the potato cultivar Payette Russet is a valuable parent for further breeding of PVY-resistant cultivars. Consistent use of Ry resistance genes with broad and robust specificity is considered as a new and promising control strategy for PVY in potato. Stay tuned for more variety releases to be resistant to PVY as the breeding programs continue to utilize the Ry genes for “universal” PVY resistance.
For more information on the “Potato Virus Initiative: Developing Solutions” project and the various research and activities of the grant, visit www.uidaho. edu/cals/potato-virus-initiative.
Potato cultivars are five weeks post-inoculation with two strains of PVY: PVYNTN and PVYO. Payette Russet looks healthy and remains uninfected, as confirmed by laboratory tests.
Pvyntn
hArvest essentiALs BUyers' GUide
Agri-stor Company
agri-stor.com/crop-protection/
Disinfecting and Crop Protection
Agri-Stor Company’s storage disinfecting and crop protection solutions address seed, process and fresh market growers’ needs for superior product quality. Multiple modes of application are available, including cold and thermal fogging, AANE and misting.
Solutions include peracetic acid (PAA), chlorine dioxide and other effective options to protect storage and crops against various diseases and micro-organisms.
Agroscout
agro-scout.com
Crop Monitoring Services
AgroScout uses advanced drone imagery to assess the canopy coverage across the entire field, providing valuable insights into the health and growth of the crop. The level of canopy coverage in each area of the field helps determine the best zones for test digging before harvest, ensuring a more accurate assessment of the crop’s condition. Understanding where to focus test digs enables more precise yield estimation, giving growers a clearer projection of the final harvest. This data-driven approach supports better decision making, ultimately leading to healthier crops, optimized yield potential and a more accurate harvest forecast.
In addition, AgroScout offers a comprehensive suite of services designed to support the crop throughout the growing season. The company’s stand count analysis at emergence helps assess crop density and establishment, offering valuable insights into early growth patterns. Pest and disease detection helps monitor for threats such as late blight and Colorado potato beetle. In addition, AgroScout can assess the impact of weather damage, giving customers a complete understanding of the field’s condition.
Greentronics
greentronics.com
RiteWeight In-line Conveyor Scale
Greentronics offers an easy and accurate method for tracking loads and weights by date, field, variety, temperature and cellar. New features added to Greentronics’ RiteWeight in-line conveyor scale are designed to automate harvest and storage data recording. Data are uploaded via an Android phone or tablet to the Greentronics cloud server for processing and reporting in near real-time. Maps and reports can be viewed, downloaded, shared or printed from anywhere. A range of reports detail how much crop is stored and where it was grown. 2-D maps show where crop is stored by date, field and variety. By including a crop temperature sensor with the scale, maps will provide a temperature profile for each cellar. Maps allow growers to easily complete traceability reports. Harvest and storage progress can be monitored remotely. Reports show inventory levels.
Lockwood Manufacturing
774 Harvester
The 774 harvester took the industry by storm recently and like so many other pieces of equipment, improvements are made as feedback from growers is provided. New for 2025 will be enhancements to the vine blower airflow to be more efficient and directed exactly where it should be. Lockwood also added the ability to dial in users’ over-ride chain for the most efficient vine removal yet. The rear cross on the 774 is now fully dynamic, allowing for the shortest drops and the highest capacity. Some simple adjustments allow users to fine tune this machine to their operations. Inspecting the rear cross has never been easier with the addition of a door that operators can simply open and step through to inspect the machine.
2024 Logan Evenflow Tub
The 2024 Logan Evenflow Tub offers a number of new upgrades with innovative designs for metering a consistent, continuous flow to downstream planting or post-harvest equipment.
The 54-inch elevating conveyor and 36-inch to 72-inch discharge belt sizes offer a large range of throughputs while utilizing new features like efficient electric drives for conveyors and externally mounted carry-up and carryback rollers for easy replacement. The machine has many options for customizing to each operation and is designed heavy for long-lasting use; Logan didn’t spare the iron on this one. For growers looking for a high quality machine priced very competitively, the Logan Evenflow Tub is the answer.
Optical Sorter
Mayo Manufacturing’s new optical sorter for potatoes is now in production. This is new-generation technology for cleaning field and storage potatoes. Mayo, Tomra and Harriston have successfully developed the ideal portable optical sorter for growers and processors. Operating in a range of conditions and potato varieties, the optical sorter has proven to be high capacity, accurate and flexible. It is available in several design configurations for specific needs.
Plant essential Oils
An Option for Controlling Root-Knot Nematodes Beyond Fumigants
By Peter Feng, Product Division Manager, JH Biotech Inc.
Root-knot nematodes are among the major pests in agricultural production. These nematodes infect the roots of plants, causing root tissue swelling, which hinders nutrient absorption, suppresses crop growth and development, and ultimately leads to reduced yields. Root-knot nematodes are widespread globally, especially prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions.
Traditionally, chemical agents such as nematicides, especially fumigants, have been used to control these pests. While fumigants offer excellent soil-clearing effects, they also eliminate beneficial soil microorganisms, and most nematicides can only target nematodes themselves, without killing nematode egg masses. With the push for sustainable agriculture, research has increasingly focused on developing natural, safe and environmentally friendly control methods, with essential oils showing significant potential in controlling rootknot nematodes.
effects
Essential oils are volatile substances extracted from leaves, stems, flowers and roots of aromatic plants. These oils have bioactive properties such as antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant effects. Rich in aldehydes, terpenes, phenols and esters, essential oils have natural pest- and disease-fighting abilities. In combating root-knot nematodes, many essential oils have demonstrated the ability to inhibit nematode activity, prevent reproduction and reduce infection rates in plants. Essential oils can control root-knot nematodes through several mechanisms. First, the active components in essential oils can directly affect the nematodes’ nervous system, disrupting their movement and reproductive ability. Many studies have found that essential oils containing terpene compounds, such as thyme oil, peppermint oil and cinnamon oil, effectively paralyze nematodes, preventing them from infesting plant roots.
Additionally, essential oils have strong antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, which inhibit the growth and reproduction of root-knot nematodes. Essential oils like clove oil and lemongrass oil are rich in phenolic compounds that can destroy nematode cell membranes, leading to their death. Moreover, essential oils can boost plants’ immune systems, promote healthy root growth and increase crop resistance to nematodes.
Product Options
In recent years, numerous studies on essential oils for controlling root-knot nematodes have shown varying effects. One study tested 16 different essential oils for their lethal effects on root-knot nematodes and found that wormwood, cinnamon, peppermint, lemon balm, lemon eucalyptus, rue and clove oils were effective in killing half of the nematodes at dilutions higher than 500x. Cinnamon oil proved the most effective,
2025 washington summit: Advancing the Policy Agenda for Potato Growers
By Kam Quarles, CEO, National Potato Council
TheNPC Washington Summit provides our industry an annual opportunity for growers to define the trajectory of federal policy. Organized by the National Potato Council and supported by the state associations and industry partners, the event helps us build meaningful relationships with our allies in the legislative and executive branches and advances the industry’s public policy priorities that can impact our family farms for generations. With administration officials and members of Congress just weeks in their new position, this year’s Washington Summit, Feb. 24-28, helped set the stage for our 2025 policy efforts, communicate the challenges facing the potato sector, and advocate for clear objectives – from addressing labor shortages to promoting pro-potato trade policies.
Agricultural Labor
Labor shortages are a persistent challenge within the agricultural sector, and potato growers are no exception. During their Capitol Hill visits, growers emphasized the need for a streamlined and scalable guest worker program to ensure farms have access to a reliable workforce.
taxation for Growers
The tax landscape can be overwhelming for both new farmers and multigenerational growers. NPC continues to advocate for tax incentives that promote investment in farming technologies and infrastructure, helping growers remain competitive in a global market while securing long-term financial sustainability.
2025 Farm Bill
The Farm Bill is a legislative lynchpin for agriculture, and this year’s advocacy efforts underscored the importance of securing funding for research, trade promotion and inspection efforts to protect U.S. growing areas. Lawmakers were urged to recognize the economic impact of the specialty crop industry –which comprises over 50% of production at the farm gate – in reauthorizing a new bill.
nutritional Advocacy
Potatoes are among the most nutritious and widely consumed vegetables in the world. Growers continued to defend their inclusion in government-supported nutrition programs like school lunches and SNAP benefits.
Washington Summit attendees gather on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, where they met with members of Congress to advocate for issues important to the potato industry.
Agricultural research
Cutting-edge research fuels the evolution of best practices and crop innovations. Growers advocated for increased federal investment in potato-specific research, particularly around disease resistance and sustainability.
trade and Global Competitiveness
International trade is a key growth and stability driver for the potato industry. Prior to heading to Capitol Hill, the NPC Board of Directors adopted a new resolution encouraging the Trump Administration to avoid the application of tariffs that could lead to retaliation by our trading partners, which may cost U.S. growers market share to foreign competition and increase the costs of essential inputs.
With lawmakers, we called for stricter enforcement of existing trade agreements and the negotiation of new partnerships to open access to international markets, ensuring potato growers remain globally competitive.
empowering the industry
The 2025 Washington Summit was not just about setting the agenda; it was about building relationships that will drive lasting improvements for our $100 billion industry. Growers, state partners and our supporters in D.C. must continue to work handin-hand to help shape a sustainable and successful policy future for America’s favorite vegetable.
Answers
1. The tiny insect is a big-eyed bug (Geocoris species).
2. The egg cluster belongs to a Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata).
3. Their relationship is that of predator and prey. The bigeyed bug sees those Colorado potato beetle eggs as a free, all-you-can-eat buffet.
Big-eyed bugs (both adults and nymphs) dine on a wide range of insects and mites, making them important biological control agents of many field and row crops. They are relatively small insects – an adult’s oval-shaped body is ¼-inch long at most and can be either black, brown, gray or reddish – but they can put a big dent in pest populations. Like aphids, they have piercing-sucking (syringe-like) mouthparts. Except, instead of leaves, stems and other plant parts, big-eyed bugs use theirs to stab their prey’s body and suck up its contents, leaving it paralyzed or dead. The bottom photo shows a bigeyed bug nymph feeding on an aphid.
It is important to support populations of big-eyed bugs and other predators by practicing integrated pest management methods that preserve their habitats, such as leaving wild hosts (i.e., weeds) to flourish on the borders of crop fields.
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smaller exporters expand Global
Major exporting countries shipped 10.23 billion lbs. of French fries and other frozen products to countries outside their local trading zones during 2024. That is 86 million lbs. less than year-earlier shipments, a 0.8% decline. Combined external sales from the five major European exporting countries fell 3.5% short of year-earlier shipments. Offshore sales from North American fryers increased by 3% during the 2024 calendar year. Combined sales from smaller exporters such as China, Argentina, India, Egypt, Turkey and New Zealand increased by 4% during the period. In this article, we explore global French fry trade by major exporters as well as the trade outlook for the next 12 months.
european external
French
Fry exports
European fryers exported 6.16 billion lbs. of French fries and other frozen potato products to customers outside the EU during the 2024 calendar year. Exports to external customers fell 222 million lbs. short of year-earlier sales, a 3.5% decline. Six of the EU’s top 10 customers reduced their purchases of French fries and other frozen products during the year. The largest volume reductions came in sales to Australia (-67 million lbs.), Saudi Arabia (-39 million lbs.) and Japan (-17 million lbs.). At 516 million lbs., the United States, the third largest importer of EU French fries, reduced
purchases by less than 1 million lbs. On the other hand, Brazil (+49 million lbs.), Colombia (+18 million lbs.) and Mexico (+15 million lbs.) increased purchases during the period.
EU fryers captured 60.2% of the global French fry export market during 2024. That is down from 61.8% in 2023 and 62.7% in 2022. Despite this year’s downturn, the EU’s external French fry exports have grown by an average of 5% per year during the past 10 years.
north American French Fry sales to Offshore Markets
North American fryers shipped 2.22
grew by 8.1% to 184 million lbs. Sales to Taiwan jumped by 10.6%, while exports to the Philippines fell by 6.8%. Frozen product exports to the remaining 76 customers exceeded year-earlier sales by 2.4%.
North American fryers captured 21.7% of the global market, which is up from 20.9% in 2023, but down from 23.4% in 2022. North America’s offshore frozen product exports have grown by an average of 0.2% per year during the past 10 years.
Combined Frozen Product sales From smaller exporters
GLOBAL TRADE: FROZEN POTATO PRODUCTS
Outside of Local Trading Zones
Source: Global Trade Atlas
billion lbs. of frozen potato products to offshore markets during 2024. That is 64.8 million lbs. more than year-earlier shipments, a 3% increase. Frozen product export volumes exceeded year-earlier sales to seven of the top 10 customers. U.S. frozen product exports rose by 1.1% to 1.82 billion lbs. However, that fell 7.6% short of the five-year average export volume. Canadian offshore exports increased by 12.7% to 402 million lbs. That is Canada’s largest export volume since 2009.
Abundant raw-product supplies supported export growth during 2024, even with strong domestic French fry demand. Japan, the largest customer, took 609 million lbs. of product, 1.4% more than year-earlier purchases. Mexico increased its imports by 4.7% to 530 million lbs. Exports to South Korea
Smaller exporting countries (China, Argentina, India, Egypt, Turkey and New Zealand) combined to ship a record 1.85 billion lbs. of French fries during 2024. That is 71 million lbs. more than year-earlier sales, a 4% increase. Though total sales from the smaller exporters increased, shipments were mixed. China’s external French fry trade has effectively doubled during each of the past five years. China exported a record 434 million lbs. of French fries to customers outside of greater China during 2024. That is 150 million lbs. more than 2023 sales, a 52.7% increase. China’s major customers include the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and South Korea.
Argentina exported 411 million lbs. during the year. That is 7% more than year-earlier sales. Brazil is Argentina’s main customer.
India has become a major player in global French fry trade during the past several years. At a record 380 million lbs., exports jumped 48.6% above year-earlier sales. India’s top customers include the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.
Egypt’s December trade data are not yet available. However, the country exported 371 million lbs. of frozen potato products between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30, down 36.9% from year-earlier shipments during that same period. A lot of the country’s export
short-sighted decisions have Long-Lasting impacts
By Dale Lathim, Potato Growers of Washington
It’s hard to believe that it is already time to plant another potato crop. As I have said so many times before, there are no two years alike in the potato industry, and this year is starting off with a reminder of just how fortunate we have been for the past decade plus in the Columbia Basin. For more than a decade, the frozen potato products industry has been in a rapid growth mode. In fact, many years we simply could not make enough potato products to supply the world’s demand.
This resulted in higher prices to both processors and growers. Also, processors were so concerned with getting enough acres that they needed assurances from growers that they had all their land and seed lined up for the coming year prior to harvest on the previous crop. This timing bode very well for both sides and allowed for forward thinking and longer range planning than had traditionally been done.
All of that changes, however, this year as one major processor that had been reducing contract volume for the past two years, as well as the other processors that had still been in growth mode, had to adjust their plans at the last minute to compensate for the slowdown in growth the industry is experiencing now due to the economy and increased competition from foreign processors.
The American consumer and economy in general has taken a hit from the uncertainty of inflation, tariffs, job security, etc. As I am writing this column, consumer debt continues to rise, the overall view of the economy is declining, and spending is decreasing. This has resulted in less foot traffic and lower sales in many restaurants. Add to that the large portions of the country that had bad weather multiple times this past winter and the wildfires in California that kept many people at home, resulting in some very tough times for restaurants to start the year. Prior to contracting, processors had to decide how many potatoes they think they will need during this tumultuous time. The choice that nearly all of them made was to take a very conservative position and contract fewer potatoes.
The late announcement of reduced acreage was very economically devastating to most growers because they had already invested more than $1,000 per acre and will now have to find a different crop to grow. And growers will not get back any more than a small percentage of the cost
and
field preparation that may or may not be needed for whatever crop they end up growing this year.
The unavailability of alternative cash crops this year makes this situation far more painful than many years in the past. Normally, there are at least five to 10 crops that a grower can produce that will return nearly as high a profit per acre as potatoes, but with fewer dollars invested and at risk. But this is the first time I can remember in my 32 years in the industry that there really is no other crop option as most of those commodities are either already oversupplied and have low prices or for those that do contract, they are reducing volumes and lowering prices.
The industry-wide impact of these late cuts, however, is felt the hardest by our seed growers. Many of those growers thought they had their entire seed supply sold and turned away some potential customers under the belief that they were sold out. Now that they are getting anywhere from 10 to 50 percent of their crop turned back to them, they are in a bind as to whether or not to try and collect from commercial growers who had to take the hit on reduced acres or to try and absorb that loss to protect their customers so that they are around for many more years. Inevitably, though, I believe this will wipe out a few potato seed growers. In turn, as an industry, we risk having enough seed capacity to cover the expansions currently being made in North America and those that are just in the planning stages. Our industry has become so short sighted in its thinking and actions that we have forgotten that actions like this last-minute acreage reduction have a major impact on the entire industry for years to come, not just a short-term hit.
and
While this will be a challenging year for the entire industry, I still believe we are in a short-term dip in the economic cycle and that a long-term economic wave will be developing soon. I just hope that most of you are still around to enjoy that ride.
