National Potato Council 2023 Yearbook offers detailed insight in the United States industry and its achievements

The NPC 2023 Annual Potato Yearbook 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 overviews.
 

RJ Andrus, President of National Potato Council

RJ Andrus, President of National Potato Council:
 

"It’s a pleasure to lead this vital industry as the current president of the National Potato Council. Over the past few years, the industry has made great strides on a number of issues, including protecting our growers through the pandemic, expanding our trade opportunities with important export partners, and defending the reputation of potatoes in federal feeding programs."

"Though we are proud of these successes, challenges remain, and we look forward to taking them on. In addition to being a Farm Bill year, the industry is fighting back against overreaching environmental regulations, the proposed SEC disclosure rule, and efforts to change the definition of potatoes in the forthcoming Dietary Guidelines for Americans update."

Agriculture Labor 

American agriculture depends on a stable workforce to plant, harvest, process, and ship its crops. However, domestic workers provide an insufficient source of labor for the potato industry and for other specialty crop producers.

The National Potato Council supports a national immigration policy that establishes effective border security, a path to legal work status for improperly documented agricultural workers, and a sustainable guest worker program to fulfill the ongoing needs in the potato industry.
 

NPC 2023 Annual Potato Yearbook USA, Contribution

Appropriations and Research

Research is of critical importance to address the challenge of providing food and fiber to a growing population. The Council supports a coordinated public and private research effort to improve U.S. potato nutrition, quality and yield. This includes support for federal and state-based research that relies on producer input to establish objectives and priorities.

The Council engages researchers to identify research needs and encourages collaborations to combine resources in a coordinated effort to advance the research objectives of the potato industry. The Council will work closely with all members of the potato industry and the research community to develop industrywide research priorities and support funding those projects.

The application of emerging technologies can drive tremendous advances in productivity and support efforts to continue enhancing agriculture sustainability. Potato producers should have the opportunity to access technology proven to be safe for humans and the environment.

Environment

United States potato producers respect the need to protect and manage the environment. Regulations to achieve species protection and preservation should balance biologic and economic risks and benefits. Potato producers rely on clean water and healthy soil to maintain sustainable, productive farms.

The Council encourages public and private partnerships that support sound stewardship of public and private working lands and associated waters that will maintain the health and productivity of those resources.

Environmental and conservation programs should be based on scientific assessments of the risks and benefits. The Council encourages local and region-specific land and water conservation and water infrastructure initiatives.

Nutrition and School Meals

Potatoes are a complex carbohydrate that is rich in key nutrients, proteins and amino acids. The Council will provide potato nutrition and dietary health information to food and nutrition policy experts and government officials to ensure that federal dietary recommendations for feeding and nutrition programs and for the Dietary Guidelines acknowledge the unique contributions of potatoes. The Council supports continued research on the relationship of potatoes to a healthy and active lifestyle.

Trade 

With 20 percent of the United States potato crop destined for foreign consumers, the National Potato Council supports multilateral, bilateral and regional trade agreements that promote fair access for fresh and processed potato exports.

As a result of the pandemic and due to the transition to the Biden Administration, the federal government paused its efforts to expand trade access over the past year. Even so, USDA Secretary Vilsack and USTR Ambassador Tai have both signaled their commitment to enforcing existing trade pacts, most notably the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

The Council will work directly with the appropriate branches and agencies of the U.S. government to gain their support and active engagement in achieving these trade objectives. The Council supports the inclusion of risk based phytosanitary standards and the elimination of barriers to the adoption of scientifically accepted technology in all trade agreements.

Trade agreements should create a strong framework that encourages all countries to conduct science-based risk assessments and implement the least restrictive mitigation measures that are consistent with managing the identified risks.

Phytosanitary regulations in all countries should adhere to the principle of "National Treatment." Trade policies should encourage countries to set Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) based on international Codex standards or to harmonize MRLs with U.S. MRLs.

MRLs should be based on the scientific evaluation of the actual risk associated with any chemical residues. MRLs should reflect the best estimate of actual risk and should not be based on the identification of a hazard or a "precautionary policy." The U.S. potato industry is committed to working with registrants to establish MRLs in all key export markets for crop protection products used on potatoes.
 

NPC 2023 Annual Potato Yearbook, USA Potato export

Transportation and Infrastructure

U.S. potato producers require a reliable and competitive transportation network of roads, bridges, port facilities, ocean shipping and railroad capacity to move crops from field to market. The Council supports efforts to increase the efficiency, competition and rate transparency of ocean, rail and truck carriers, while maintaining safe highways and railroad beds.

This includes increasing the size and/ or weight of transportation options. To ensure reliable and safe production and transportation of all U.S. potato products, the Council encourages investment by both state and federal governments in transportation networks, communication infrastructure and power grids.

Ongoing investments in maintaining existing and building new transportation and infrastructure systems will help U.S. potato producers remain competitive in the domestic and global markets and reduce some of the risk associated with growing perishable products.

The Council supports research to identify additional transportation and infrastructure resources that will move and power the U.S. into the future while also recognizing that existing transportation and power systems play a key role in growing the world’s food. Any initiatives must also address practical and financial considerations of moving to or integrating the new systems.