09/19/08 Potato issues at NAPPO meeting

Farm and Ranch September 19, 2008 It's called NAPPO, the North American Plant Protection Organization. Matt Harris, Director of Trade for the Washington Potato Commission says NAPPO was created by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Harris: "And what this organization deals with is plant protection on both a scientific and industry level. There will be a meeting coming up October 21st and 22nd in Guadalajara, Mexico." Harris says NAPPO has a specific panel for potatoes. Harris: "To address concerns of phytosanitary risks and also the need to identify those risks among the three nations. So this panel will have discussions with identifying the requirements for recognition of a pest free area. We will also look at some very technical aspects of looking at the draft charter of the potato panel RSPF Number Three, which is requirements for the importation of potatoes into a NAPPO member country, and other assignments that would have very technical views of how do you pre-test for pathogens such as PVYN or the PVY complex." The bottom line being; Harris: "Making correct policies that benefit all three nations with the regard of transportation of fresh table stock potatoes between the three countries and also seed potatoes between the three countries." 10 I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.