Potatoes Get Raves & Oregon Aquaculture Plays Catch Up

Potatoes Get Raves & Oregon Aquaculture Plays Catch Up plus Veterans Take To Farms. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.

Potato industry officials have just returned from a trade mission to SE Asia and by all reports, it was good trip. There are huge potentials in several of the areas that were visited but there are a good many challenges as well including things like high tariffs and competition from the world's largest potato producer, China. The 10-day mission had visits to Vietnam and the Philippines before the Washington delegation split off for a visit to Myanmar. This was the third joint trip for both states delegations.

Roughly 90 percent of the fish consumed in the US is imported and nearly half of that is farmed fish. Jerry Gardner, Business Development Manager for the Oregon Department of Agriculture, says Oregon aquaculture is small scale right now, but there is great capacity to do more.

GARDNER:  We think right now that probably that aquaculture in Oregon might be about a $10 million a year industry. We'd like to see it double within the next 3 to 5 years, if not more.

Well with Veteran's Day just this past Tuesday a lot of attention has been focused on their reintegration and one prominent veteran says returning vets should be encouraged to take up agriculture for their civilian careers. Gary Crawford has more.

(USDA Report)

Thanks Gary. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin. Thanks for listening on the Ag Information Network of the west.