Promoting Potatoes & Emergency PED Virus Rule Adopted

I'm Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

The Washington State Potato Commission is honoring National Potato Chip Day this year by giving away bags of potato chips to one of their Facebook fans. WSPC Executive Director Chris Voigt.

VOIGT: Yes, so National Potato Chip Day is March 14 and you can win, believe it or not, 10,000 bags of potato chips. You're probably thinking to yourself what am I going to do with 10,000 bags, but that's part of the fun of it. People are posting comments on there of what they're going to do - whether it's donating it to a food bank, or their kids' school, so people are coming up with some fun ways of getting rid of 10,000 bags of potato chips in honor of National Potato Chip Day.

All someone needs to do to have a chance to win is "like" the WSPC Facebook page and share the contest announcement with their friends. They are then automatically entered into a random drawing. Voigt says the WSPC can't think of a better way to help people celebrate National Potato Chip Day than by making sure they aren't celebrating alone.

The Washington State Department of Agriculture has adopted an emergency rule requiring all swine entering the state to have a health certificate signed by the animal owner and a licensed veterinarian stating the animals are free of the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus, a disease which can make adult pigs ill and be deadly to piglets. The new rule will remain in force for at least 120 days. PED virus poses no public health risk, as the virus cannot be transferred to other animals or humans, and is not transferred through pork products. While the PED virus has not been found in Washington, state veterinarian Paul Kohrs is advising anyone planning to show their pigs in fairs or exhibits, including 4-H and FFA groups, to keep their swine apart during weigh-ins and tagging activities before the events. For more information visit agr.wa.gov.

That's Washington Ag Today.

I'm Lacy Gray on the Ag Information Network.