News on Potato Trade from the United States

The marketing year that ended in June 2021 was unlike any year the US potato industry has ever experienced. With pandemic restrictions ebbing and flowing from June 2020 to July 2021, sales at foodservice fluctuated while retail purchases remained extremely strong throughout the year.

The toll that hot dry weather took on the Red River Valley 2021 potato crop won’t be visible until harvest begins in a few weeks, but it’s already clear it has affected yields and quality.

Exports from the U.S. were impacted by reduced demand and shipping problems starting in January 2020; this reduced demand carried through the end of 2020.

The United States pressured Mexico on Wednesday to allow genetically modified crops into the country and to open up access to U.S.-grown potatoes. Trade talks were held Wednesday in Mexico City.

You may have read 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.

Strong demand for potatoes and potato products and tight domestic supplies continues to drive increases in imports for the current (July – June) marketing year. For July 2020 – March 2021 total imports are up 9 percent, led by an 18% increase in chips and a 15 percent increase in dehydrated potatoes.

Groups encourage Mexico regulators to immediately begin the rulemaking process to allow for the importation of fresh U.S. potatoes throughout the country.

The Boards of Directors of the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) and United Fresh Produce Association (United Fresh) have reached an Agreement in Principle to create a new global trade association combining their resources and expertise.

The National Potato Council(NPC) and 26 leading food and agriculture associations have expressed concerns over the rapid deterioration of the trade relationship between the United States and Mexico

On 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 the import of fresh US potatoes throughout the country.

Today the National Potato Council welcomed the signing of the Phase One Agreement reached between the United States and China by President Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He at the White House.

A team of fresh Idaho potato shippers will soon head to Taiwan to develop new business relationships in the Southeast Asian market.

North American potato processors either have or will be bringing at least 1.3 billion pounds of new processing capacity online between October 2018 and December 2019. In Potato Country, Bruce Huffaker of NAPMN discusses the impact.

Oregon Potato Commission CEO Bill Brewer told the Washington-Oregon Potato Conference in Kennewick, Washington, that US industry leaders hope negotiations will open China to fresh potatoes.

The Washington State Potato Commission, headquartered in Moses Lake, Washington, has been pleasantly surprised by the weather and its impact on this year’s potato crop in the state.

USDA-AMS has proposed a rule to revise the classifications that determine the size requirements for potatoes grown in Idaho and Malheur County, Oregon. The proposal would also apply to all import of long type potatoes.

Worldwide consumption of potatoes is increasing, according to Blair Richardson, chief executive officer of Potatoes USA during a recent meeting of Wisconsin potato growers

A federal judge ruled that the United States government illegally quarantined some Idaho potato fields infested with potato cyst nematodes (PCN), a pest that could threaten the state’s $1.2 billion potato industry.