The 2022 edition of the Annual Potato Yearbook was mailed out mid-July highlighting progress on NPC’s national legislative, regulatory, and marketing priorities. The Yearbook also features updated U.S. and world potato production and consumption stats, grower and industry contact information, position statements, and program interviews. Noting the significant challenges overcome by the industry and the […]

Gregory Porter, professor of agronomy in the University of Maine School of Food and Agriculture, will receive an Honorary Life Membership from the Potato Association of America (PAA) at the organization’s annual meeting in July 2022. An Honorary Life Membership Award, the highest honor bestowed by PAA, recognizes exceptional contributions to the potato industry. Porter […]

Potatoes USA announces nominations are now open for new Board Members for the 2023-2026 term. The board is seeking nominees to fill a total of 65 open seats for producers from the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, […]

With many countries around the globe relaxing restrictions and showing signs of recovery from the pandemic, demand for U.S. potato exports is strong in many markets. During the first three quarters of the marketing year (July 2021-March 2022), overall U.S. potato and potato product exports increased from the same period one year earlier. From July […]

Click HERE to watch Sen. Collins’ Q&A on Potato research.    At an Appropriations hearing on May 10, U.S. Senator Susan Collins sharply criticized the Biden Administration’s proposal to eliminate a successful potato breeding research program that supports critical work at the University of Maine.  U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack testified at the hearing […]

U.S. growers appreciate partnership with USDA and USTR in reopening full Mexican market to U.S. potatoes     WASHINGTON – The National Potato Council welcomed the news that the first shipments of U.S. fresh potatoes crossed into Mexico on May 11. The successful crossings signal the start of Mexico’s process to restore full market access for U.S. fresh […]

DENVER (April 12, 2022) – Potatoes USA, the marketing and promotion board for the potato industry, elected new leadership during its Annual Meeting on March 9, 2022. The newly elected Chairman and Executive Committee will lead the Board through 2022- 2023. Jennifer Gogan of Houlton, Maine was elected as co-chair of the Research Committee and […]

Last Friday, POLITICO released a multi-chapter article scrutinizing the FDA’s delayed response to food safety, recalls, and foodborne illness outbreaks, especially when it comes to produce and PFAS, the “forever chemicals.”  The news site conducted an independent investigation based on more than 50 interviews, finding that the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) […]

Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Ranking Member John Boozman (R-Ark.) announced Wednesday the committee will hold its first hearing on the 2023 Farm Bill on April 29 in Michigan. The hearing, entitled “Growing Jobs and Economic Opportunity: 2023 Farm Bill Perspectives,” will be held at Michigan State University and will include a […]

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week released a workplan to address its obligations to protect both endangered species and register pesticides. The plan identifies as the agency’s highest priority those evaluations that are required to meet court-ordered deadlines of more than 50 pesticide active ingredients, including neonicotinoids. “Completing this work will take EPA past 2040, yet […]

In response to the news out of Mexico, the National Potato Council issued this statement: “The National Potato Council appreciates today’s positive announcement and thanks Secretary Vilsack and the teams at USDA and USTR for their efforts to ensure that Mexico lives up to its bilateral trade obligations. Given the history of this 25-year trade dispute, […]

Below are those selected for the grants. Back to Newsletter Articles

On February 9, the FDA released a guidance document titled Questions and Answers Regarding Channels of Trade Policy for Human Food Commodities with Chlorpyrifos Residues: Guidance for Industry, based on the channels of trade provision of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the FDA’s 2005 Guidance. The guidance comes just before the EPA’s final […]

Last week NPC, as a member of the Pesticide Policy Coalition (PPC), submitted comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regarding their proposed rule to redefine Waters of the United States (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act (CWA). The group communicated its serious concerns with the proposed rule. […]

During this week’s Summit, we were joined by POLITICO reporter (and Idaho native) Ximena Bustillo, who took the opportunity to learn more about the industry’s ongoing challenges with Mexico and broke news about a bipartisan letter being circulated on the Hill. Bustillo reported that U.S. potato industry advocates and lawmakers are challenging Mexico’s recent announcement […]

During the first day of NPC’s 2022 Washington Summit, Jared Balcom of Pasco, Wash., was elected by the council’s voting delegates to serve as NPC’s 2022 President and head the grower-led organization’s Executive Committee. As I take on the position of NPC President, I’m hopeful we can continue to use the momentum we’ve built to […]

Last week, NPC issued the following Letter to the Editor in response to a Washington Post story that ran last weekend: Thank you for highlighting the challenges faced by family farms in producing and distributing the world’s favorite vegetable: potatoes (On Canada’s ‘Spud Island,’ unsightly potatoes causing fear, frustration, economic pain). However, your story, which casts […]

Last Tuesday, NPC issued a statement in response to news of the resumption of trade of table stock potatoes from Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada, into Puerto Rico: “The National Potato Council welcomes the safe resumption of trade between PEI and Puerto Rico that will allow the province’s growers to market their 2021 crop. We trust USDA […]

It’s almost that time of year again.  As temperatures begin to rise, and snow and ice begin to melt, the Department of Transportation and some municipalities will be posting roads. Now is a good time while everything is still frozen to start thinking of prestaging items before the orange signs show up. Posting a road […]

Farming Smarter is Key  -Paula Brewer Reprinted by permission of Bangor Daily News Even though Maine had a bumper crop of potatoes in 2021, it was still only a quarter of the yield Aroostook farmers experienced at their peak in the 1940s and 1950s. Potatoes have literally lost ground — acreage in Maine has declined […]

Maine Industry Leaders Recognized Last week, U.S. potato growers and allied partners from across the country united as an industry to fulfill NPC’s mission of “Standing Up for Potatoes on Capitol Hill.” The 2022 Washington Summit, Feb. 28-March 3, provided a forum for potato industry members to discuss, define, and advocate for the policy priorities […]

The Novel Energy Solar Program is available to both businesses and homeowners. By joining the community solar farm, customers will receive solar bill credits directly on their utility bill, which will significantly reduce the payment to Versant Power. You can reach out to Novel Energy to see what your savings would look like. Novel was […]

NPC joined more than 350 agriculture and other industry partners reliant on the safe and effective use of pesticide products on a letter sent to members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives in support of the current Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The letter was in response to recently introduced legislation […]

Two years after the U.S. potato industry celebrated the Mexican Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling in favor of allowing U.S. fresh potato imports, as we begin 2022, the industry has never been closer to finally supplying this important trading partner with high-quality U.S. product. During Potato Expo 2022, the industry’s trade experts sat down with Eye […]

NPC was pleased to host the first in-person meeting of the U.S. and international potato industry in two years on January 5-6 in Anaheim, California. Overcoming national airline and pandemic disruptions, Potato Expo 2022 provided industry attendees the opportunity to network, reconnect, and learn about the latest services and technologies to improve their businesses. The […]

In a positive move this week, the Canadian government through its Agriculture Minister announced the formation of a committee to focus on the steps necessary to restore trade between the U.S. and PEI. “This announcement appears to prioritize the technical process and thereby seeks to restore and enhance soil testing. If that is accurate, it […]

On Thursday evening, January 20, the U.S. agriculture industry was notified of a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) decision to prevent the entry of non-U.S. citizen essential travelers, including truck drivers, into the United States who have not been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The restrictions for both the U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico border will go into […]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) has announced that Corey Rioux of Fort Kent was elected to represent his local administrative area (LAA) during the recent county committee election. “County Committee members are a critical component of the day-to-day operations of FSA,” said Chandra Campbell, county executive director. “They help deliver […]

Last week, Colorado Potato Administrative Committee (CPAC) hosted a site visit by Mexican authorities. This site visit is one of the final requirements as the Mexican government moves toward restoring market access for U.S. fresh potatoes. During the two-day visit, the delegation met with Dr. Osama El-Lissy, Deputy Administrator at APHIS, Potato USA’s John Toaspern, CPAC […]

On Thursday, Potatoes USA announced that Market Access Program (MAP) funding from USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) increased for the 2022-2023 marketing year by more than $5.2 million. According to Potatoes USA, the MAP funding, combined with additional funding from other FAS programs, such as the Agricultural Trade Promotion Program (ATP) and the Quality Samples […]

Last week, NPC provided an update on the potato wart crisis facing Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada. Based on the data released last week by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), it is clear that soil sampling has declined substantially over the past five years. The absence of a strong testing program is a large […]

Position Title: Assistant/Associate Professor and Dr. Robert Vinton Akeley Chair in Agricultural Science and Agribusiness   Campus: Presque Isle Department: Math & Science – IMS Location: Presque Isle ME Bargaining Unit: AFUM Work Schedule: Fiscal Year Length: Fiscal Year (12 Months) Job Details: Assistant/Associate Professor and Dr. Robert Vinton Akeley Chair in Agricultural Science and […]

On Thursday, December 9, NPC’s CEO Kam Quarles and COO Mike Wenkel hosted a delegation from Prince Edward Island, led by PEI Premier Dennis King, for a conversation about the steps that will need to be put in place to safely and efficiently restore trade with this important province. “We understand the impact that Canada’s […]

U.S. exports of frozen potato products, dehydrated potatoes, and fresh potatoes continue to improve, some stronger than others. U.S. exports of frozen potato products increased by 30% for the July – September 2021 quarter compared to 2020. These increases were led by a 63% increase to Mexico, continuing exceptionally strong sales to this market throughout […]

Last month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of the Army publicly announced a process for stakeholders to submit nomination letters with a slate of participants to potentially be selected as one of ten geographically focused roundtables to provide input on the regional implications of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) […]

Last week, USDA’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture issued a request for applications for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI). An anticipated $80 million will be available for the program in 2022, and the application deadline is Jan. 21. 2021. According to USDA, the purpose of the SCRI program is to address the critical […]

Members of the NPC Environmental Committee along with members of the organization’s Grower Pesticide Advisory Panel met with staff of the EPA’s Office of Pesticide Program (OPP) earlier this week. Despite being unable to meet in-person with the staff responsible for pesticide registration reviews over the past 18-months, the meeting provided an opportunity to hear about […]

On November 2nd, the U.S. Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research hosted a hearing on the “State of Nutrition in America 2021.” During the event, Chairman Booker and Ranking Member Braun recommended moving forward with a bipartisan, bicameral bill that would convene a second national White House Conference on […]

The Biden Administration’s Office of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) last week released its long-awaited COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS). The ETS applies to businesses with at least 100 employees and is expected to cover 84 million people. The mandate requires businesses to implement vaccine requirements and/or weekly testing and mask […]

New restrictions on PEI potatoes enacted for Canadian provinces and the U.S. effective midnight Nov. 22   WASHINGTON – The National Potato Council (NPC) and grower organizations throughout the United States today welcomed the announcement by Canada’s Acting Chief Plant Health Officer, David Bailey, to prevent the spread of potato wart from Prince Edward Island (PEI) […]

Last week, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) reported the detection of potato warts in two fields where potatoes were being grown for processing. While CFIA indicates that the potatoes did not leave the island, they announced it has suspended the export of seed potatoes from PEI to the United States. On Friday, November 5, […]

“Over the past few months, the National Potato Council and our partners in the agriculture industry have given feedback to USDA on the need to support those who incurred COVID-19 PPE and vaccination costs in the heavily-impacted specialty crop sector. Although we appreciate the intention of the announcement and the release of these funds, unfortunately, […]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for September 2021, which are effective Sept. 1. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures, or meet cash flow needs. Operating, ownership and emergency loans FSA […]

President Biden last month nominated Elaine Trevino to be the Chief Agricultural Negotiator at the Office of the Unites States Trade Representative (USTR). Trevino is currently the President of the Almond Alliance of California, where she helps advocate on regulatory and legislative issues in areas of international trade, food safety, water quality and availability, crop […]

Following public opposition from farm groups, including NPC and state potato organizations, House Democrats released a package of tax hikes to fund their $3.5 trillion spending plan that eliminated President Biden’s proposed increase on inherited property at death. “The President’s proposed hikes would have forced family farms and ranches to disproportionately shoulder the burden of […]

More than 145 companies and organizations have already signed up to exhibit at Potato Expo 2022, January 5-6, in Anaheim, California. Nothing beats doing business and growing relationships face-to-face. That’s why Potato Expo 2022’s Expo Hall will be the central hub of activity, featuring 100,000 square feet of trade show space, hosting numerous receptions and meals, and accommodating […]

On October 4, NPC offered comments on EPA Dockett: EPA-HQ-OPP-2015-0401-0047 regarding the Agency’s proposed interim decision for difenoconazole. In the comments, NPC wrote, “Potato production in the United States relies on the use of difenoconazole as part of integrated management plan on a variety of potato diseases including Helminthosporium solani (Silver Scurf) and Fusarium species […]

In response to NPC’s June 28 letter enlisting the Biden Administration’s support for full U.S. fresh potato access to Mexico, USDA Secretary Vilsack wrote to the industry saying that resolving this issue is a high priority for the department. “I would like to thank you for your extensive efforts in pursuing full access to this key market,” […]

As part of the Biden Administration’s whole-of-government approach to the climate crisis, both the USDA and EPA unveiled their plans for how they as agencies will prepare for and adapt to climate change. USDA’s plan identifies five cross-cutting adaptation actions the agency will take: Build resilience across landscapes with investments in soil and forest health. Increase […]

USDA announced on October 6 that the application period for the new Pandemic Response and Safety Grant program is now open.  The $650 million program, funded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, was created to “assist small businesses in certain commodity areas, including specialty crop producers” with “COVID-related expenses such as workplace safety measures […]

Recently, President Biden issued an Executive Order that, among other things, directs USDA to take actions to curb the market power of agribusiness companies, including by enabling growers to repair high-tech machinery. The order builds off USDA announcements to write new regulations strengthening the Packers and Stockyards Act (PSA) and concerns over the “Products of […]

Late last month, EPA announced the removal of all tolerances on all food crops for chlorpyrifos while maintaining its use for non-food uses including Christmas trees and mosquito control. These changes are effective in six months. Though the ruling doesn’t directly impact potatoes as chlopyrifos isn’t registered or used on the crop, in March the National Potato […]

Efforts to resolve the agricultural labor crisis have been complicated by the partisan Reconciliation Bill that kicked off last week. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Mike Crapo have been working on a bipartisan basis to improve on the House-passed Farm Workforce Modernization Act.  That bill was approved by nearly every Democrat in the House and 30 […]

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai met with Mexican officials in late July to discuss trade frictions between the two countries, including ag-related challenges. In a readout after the meeting, USTR reported that Ambassador Tai pressed her counterpart for an update on the country’s progress on increasing access for U.S. fresh potatoes. In response to the […]

Agricultural Engineer Technician Introduction: The Agricultural Engineer Technician is responsible for carrying out the duties as outlined by the Executive Director, under the direction of the Maine Potato Board.  The position reports directly to the Agricultural Engineer of the Maine Potato Board. Duties: The duties of the Agricultural Engineer Technician are, but not limited to, […]

Earlier this month, the Senate took two major steps forward on the Biden Administration’s priorities for economic recovery in the wake of the pandemic. The bipartisan Infrastructure Bill includes $550 billion in new spending for roads, rails, bridges, commercial seaports, waterways and water infrastructure. It was passed 69-30 by the Senate and now faces an uncertain schedule […]

Last month the Biden Administration increased the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments by 27% over pre-pandemic levels. This increase was in response to the upcoming expiration of a 15% increase in SNAP (formerly called the “food stamp program”) benefits that was made by Congress last year in response to COVID.  That prior plus-up was due […]

The Maine Potato Board held its annual meeting in late July. Guests enjoyed the “meet and greet” opportunity to spend time with industry colleagues.  One of the highlights of the meeting is always the presentation of the outgoing president’s President’s Award. Due to Covid-19, no annual meeting was held in 2019, so outgoing 2019 board […]

The 2021 edition of the Annual Potato Yearbook was released this week highlighting progress on NPC’s national legislative, regulatory, and marketing priorities, in addition its work to deliver more than $350 million in federal government support to the potato industry since the start of the pandemic. The Yearbook also features updated U.S. and world potato […]

On June 9, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of the Army announced their intent to revise the definition of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) after concluding the Trump Administration’s rule is causing “significant environmental degradation,” according to EPA Administrator Michael Regan. In a press release, the Biden Administration said the definition was […]

Introduction: The Agricultural Engineer Technician is responsible for carrying out the duties as outlined by the Executive Director, under the direction of the Maine Potato Board.  The position reports directly to the Agricultural Engineer of the Maine Potato Board. Duties: The duties of the Agricultural Engineer Technician are, but not limited to, the following:   […]

Last week, the House Appropriations Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee marked up its Fiscal Year 2022 funding bill that included two priority issues for NPC and the U.S. potato industry: SCRI funding and a prohibition on excluding potatoes from the federal school breakfast program. Since the 2018 Farm Bill […]

Please join us for our virtual 2021 Summer Meeting Virtual committee and board meetings, July 26-28. All Board of Directors and committee members are strongly encouraged to participate as we work to achieve our mission of Standing Up for Potatoes on Capitol Hill.  Schedule of Events Monday, July 26 11:00am-12:00pm ET – Finance Committee Meeting […]

On Thursday, June 24, the Senate passed the S. 1251, the Growing Climate Solutions Act (GCSA), by a vote of 92-8. The bipartisan legislation reduces technical entry barriers for producers and forest owners interested in participating in voluntary carbon markets. The bill will now head to the House. “As stewards of the land and our […]

It was reported last week that Mexican Agriculture Secretary Víctor Villalobos Arámbula is expected to travel to Washington, D.C. in early August to meet with his American counterpart, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. The meeting is expected to include a discussion of the decades-long issue concerning Mexico’s ban on the full importation of fresh U.S. potatoes. […]

The spore trapping program for the 2021 growing season is underway.  Spore collections began in Maine on Monday, June 21 and will continue for the next 9 weeks. The reports will be emailed to growers via the Maine Potato Board mailing list.  If anyone would like to sign up to receive the weekly updates, please email […]

As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins pledged to work to preserve this critical funding that supports Maine potato farmers At a recent Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) questioned U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack on why the department’s proposed Fiscal Year 2022 budget has eliminated […]

Men’s Health published an 8-page feature spread on the nutritional value – and delicious taste – of potatoes in its recent May issue.* The article addresses long-standing myths and misinformation that potatoes are anything but a nutrient-dense vegetable and good carb.  The authors state, “One medium-sized baked potato delivers six grams of protein and four grams […]

Prior to a House Ways and Means Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee hearing that took place last week, NPC joined a group of 40 national agriculture organizations on a letter to House and Senate leadership outlining the industry’s position on tax provisions under consideration that could put family farms in jeopardy. The group writes, “As Congress […]

The Leadership Institute Alumni Summit, July 13-15, will bring together Potato Industry Leadership Institute graduates to network, refresh skills, and learn new techniques to better position themselves for success in the potato industry. Two of the three sessions will be led by Laurie Richards – a familiar face to Institute grads – as she has […]

On last Thursday, NPC joined a broad group of stakeholders with a strong interest in continued access to safe, affordable, effective pesticide products on a letter to USDA urging the department to consider the value of pesticides as a tool to combat climate change. While many conservation practices support efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, […]

Jennifer Gogan of Houlton, Maine, and Jared Smith of Alamosa, Colorado, were elected to the Potatoes USA Executive Committee as Research Committee Co-Chairs at the organization’s Annual Meeting. This is Gogan’s second year on the board and her first year on the Executive Committee. Smith is serving his fourth year on the board and his […]

Earlier this month, a bipartisan group of House and Senate members wrote to U.S. Trade Representative Tai urging her to “consider the merits and demerits of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which was signed by the 11 other TPP countries in 2018 without the United States.” The group argued that that […]

In the midst of a year full of change, understanding shopping habits for all potato categories at retail is critical. Potatoes USA, in partnership with Kantar Insights Consulting, conducted a Total Store study that identified opportunities for potatoes across the whole store, including the perimeter and the center of the store. In 2020, sales in […]

According to Datassential, loaded fries have seen a 54% growth on menus over the past four years and a 15% growth in the past year. Although consumers have been cooking at home more since the start of the pandemic, fries remain an away-from-home treat as consumers rely on restaurants to make fries for them. To […]

In a letter issued earlier this month to Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID), NPC joined dozens of national and regional agricultural organizations to offer its support of broad-based funding mechanisms in future transportation reauthorization bills. “Large volumes of commodities and agricultural products are transported from mostly rural […]

On March 31, NPC joined national and local agriculture organizations on a letter to USDA Secretary Vilsack advocating for additional support for food and agricultural businesses as they continue to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. In the letter, the group strongly encourages USDA to consider standing up and funding the following recommended priority areas: COVID […]

NPC and 13 state potato organizations sent a letter this week to USDA Deputy Secretary Osama El-Lissy thanking him and the staff at USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for their rapid efforts to address the detection by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) of the virulent potato wart disease (Synchytrium endobioticum) in two […]

Last week, Mexico’s Supreme Court was scheduled to finally rule on a set of cases that could allow for the full importation of fresh U.S. potatoes; however, the court once again postponed deliberations on the appeals. While the delay itself is nothing new, the inaction came on the heels of a request issued by the […]

At the March MPB meeting, directors awarded a total of $107, 258 in research grants.   Back to Newsletter Articles

The MPB is seeking an agricultural engineer technician. That position is responsible for carrying out the duties as outlined by the executive director, under the direction of the Maine Potato Board members. The position reports directly to the Maine Potato Board’s agricultural engineer.  Duties:  The duties of the Agricultural Engineer Technician are, but not limited to, the […]

Courtesy St. John Valley Times Growing up on his father’s potato farm in Cyr Plantation, Dominic LaJoie said he never could have imagined the size his family’s company, LaJoie Growers LLC, would reach. He also never planned on getting into politics.  Nonetheless, the National Potato Council elected LaJoie, a fourth-generation St. John Valley potato farmer, […]

Total potato sales at retail were at five-year record highs for both dollar and volume sales in 2020. Dollar sales increased by 16% compared to 2019 and all categories, except deli-prepared sides, grew by double-digit dollar sales. Dehydrated potatoes recorded the highest sales increases in dollars by 30% and volume sales by 25%. Canned and […]

Deteriorating relationship impacting competitiveness of U.S. agriculture The National Potato Council and 26 leading food and agriculture associations sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai on March 23 communicating growing concerns over the rapid deterioration of the U.S.-Mexico trade relationship. The letter calls attention to alarming recent developments […]

Moments after the House action on the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Mike Crapo (R-ID) released a joint statement announcing they will introduce companion legislation in the U.S. Senate. “We applaud our colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives — on both sides of the aisle — for their work on […]

Encourages Senate to take up effort to enact long-term ag labor solutions The National Potato Council (NPC), which represents America’s $4.5 billion potato industry, welcomed the March 18 bipartisan 247-174 vote in the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. The bill, sponsored by Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Dan Newhouse […]

Andrew Plant has shared final results. The Maine Seed Potato Certification’s 2020 Post Harvest Test was completed in January.  This marks the third crop in which the test was completed entirely in its Disease Testing Laboratory.  In the laboratory, ELISA is used to serologically test sprout sap to provide infection level estimates for PVY and […]

The “art” of plant breeding is ancient. For ages, humankind has sown seeds collected from favored plants, slowly but surely evolving more nutritious, higher-yielding crops. Breeders, such as Luther Burbank, were quite effective in operating within this intuitive world of breeding.   Genetic “science” and the understanding of the transmission of traits is relatively new. Gregor […]

U.S. potato exports continue to recover but remain behind previous year levels.  Exports for the first six months of the marketing year, July – December 2020, are behind the record levels set in 2019. However, exports for October, November, and December are far less distressed than they were in the July – September period. Frozen […]

After seven hours of deliberation on last Wednesday, the House Agriculture Committee finished marking up the agriculture and nutrition title of the COVID-19 relief bill making its way through Congress. The Committee reported favorably – by a 25-23 vote – to the House Budget Committee its 17-page bill.   Provisions in the package, among other items, include:   Grants and loans to purchase personal protective equipment, […]

Majority of five-member panel must agree during February 24 hearing  WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, February 17, 2021, the Mexican Supreme Court released a draft ruling that would overturn a 2017 lower court decision preventing the Mexican federal government from implementing regulations to allow for the importation of fresh U.S. potatoes throughout the country. The case […]

People with diabetes have long been told to avoid potatoes because of their high glycemic index (GI) value, however, scientific evidence is building that counters this notion and supports the inclusion of potatoes in a diabetic-friendly diet. New research provides even further insight: a first of its kind study, funded by the Alliance for Potato Research […]

The Maine Potato Board has a position open for an agricultural engineer technician.  Agricultural Engineer Technician Introduction: The Agricultural Engineer Technician is responsible for carrying out the duties as outlined by the Executive Director, under the direction of the Maine Potato Board.  The position reports directly to the Agricultural Engineer of the Maine Potato Board.  […]

Record potato retail sales continued from October to December 2020, the second quarter of Potatoes USA’s marketing year 2021.  All three months saw an increase in both dollar and volume sales, with the largest growth in December. Total store potato sales grew 9.3% in volume and 12.3% in value. Prices also increased for consumers by […]

After days of uncertainty and threatening a veto, President Trump on Sunday, January 3 signed a year-end government spending bill, which included an additional $900 billion in COVID-19 relief. The package, supported by NPC, includes the Fiscal Year 2021 agriculture appropriations provisions as well as agriculture and nutrition program funding as part of the COVID relief […]

USDA Secretary Perdue announced January 4 that the department will move forward with an additional $1.5 billion worth of food purchases as part of the Farmers to Families Food Box Program. Funding for this fifth round of the program was included in the COVID-19 relief package supported by NPC, which was passed and signed into […]

As part of the Potato Expo preview day, Potato LEAF announced the creation of a new program designed to support graduates of its Potato Industry Leadership Institute. The Institute Alumni Summit, open to past graduates of the Institute, will take place virtually, July 13-15, 2021. Over the three days, the Summit will provide alumni with engaging […]

Last week, USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services released the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommends the increased consumption of vegetables for all age groups. The National Potato Council welcomed the recommendations, which support the importance of including nutrient-rich vegetables, including potatoes, in all diets.  “We’re pleased the latest DGA is […]

From January 5-7, more than 1,000 U.S. and international potato industry members joined the first-ever virtual Potato Expo. The annual event that kicks off the year for the industry, was brought online for the first time in response to the travel challenges imposed by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Despite the challenges, growers and supply chain […]

While this year’s Potato Expo provided the industry a forum for unity and celebration, we at NPC would be remiss if we were not to begin without addressing the actions that caused our office to be evacuated on Wednesday, January 6, afternoon. On January 6, the nation experienced a day impaired by turmoil as Congress […]