National Potato Council

The potato industry is hopeful good news on the trade front could be right around the corner.  The Trump administration has reportedly begun talks with Japan to eliminate tariff and non-tariff trade barriers.   “Since it became obvious that there was going to be a negotiation, specifically with Japan, we have been pushing the administration," said Kam Quarles, National Potato Council CEO.  &q

During last month’s annual Washington D.C. Summit, the National Potato Council elected Ted Tschriky to serve as President for the next 12 months.  The grower from the Pasco, WA-area said he feels the Northwest potato industry is doing fairly well, despite recent cutbacks in acreage over the past couple of years.   " tryi...

The University of Idaho is gearing up for the 57th annual Idaho Potato Conference, which will take place January 22nd –23rd in the Pond Student Union Building on the Idaho State University campus in Pocatello.  U of I associate professor of plant pathology James Woodhall noted that much of this year’s workshops and presentations will focus on plant disease and pressures.   “Quite a bit... Read Mor

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the creation of new programs that will help farmers who grow fruits, vegetables, and nuts overcome market barriers for their products.  The programs will also help producers access necessary pre-market storage for their crops following severe weather events.   ...

The most recent talks with Japanese officials that began nearly 20 years ago about getting U.S. fresh potatoes access in Japan ended just as they have every other year, in frustration.  National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles said nothing has changed.   “...

Nearly $101 billion.  That’s the economic impact the potato industry has on the U.S. economy.   On Tuesday, the National Potato Council released, "Measuring the Economic Significance of the U.S. Potato Industry," a comprehensive analysis on the domestic economic impact of potatoes.  The analysis, auth...

The first shipments of U.S. fresh potatoes made their way through the Mexican border and to Mexican consumers this month, wrapping up one of the longest trade disputes in USDA history. For over 25 years, regulatory and legal obstructions have kept U ...

Last week, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that an agreement had been reached to allow U.S. potatoes into the Mexican market no later than May 15th. National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles said while the news is good, no one is holding their breathe right now ...

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said Canada will soon resume exporting table stock potatoes from Prince Edward Island into the contiguous United States. The Hagstrom Report said the National Potato Council is unhappy with the news and worried about potato wart disease spreading from the island into the U.S., w ...

The National Potato Council has a new president, and he comes from the Pacific Northwest. On Tuesday, Jared Balcom of Pasco, WA, was elected to serve a NPA’s 2022 president and head the grower-led organization’s Executive Committee. The elect ...