Joint Research A Priority For Northwest Potato Industry

There was a time when Washington, Oregon and Idaho potato commissions were in competition with each other, trying to outdo each other for market share and research projects.

But that all changed about five years ago.  Chris Voigt, Executive Director of the Washington Potato Commission told the Washington Ag Network the three Northwest states looked at ways to save money.

“You know, it use to be that every state was doing their own research.  It was like, well why are we duplicating so much?  Why are we doing essentially the same projects in Oregon as we are in Washington and paying for it twice.  Why don’t we just do it once?”

Voigt added like other entities, the three commissions are also concerned about future federal budget cuts.

“You know, as we lose researchers maybe there will be a point where Washington may not have a nematologist.  And then what are we going to do? So, let’s go head and start fostering that relationship with nematologists across the Pacific Northwest.”

Voigt acknowledged that each state performs research that is unique to that state and their growers, but where they can, they look to work jointly.

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