Potato Board International Marketing Chair visited Japan with Vilsack

Farm and Ranch April 30, 2010 When U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently went to Japan to celebrate 50 years of U.S. agricultural exports to the island nation, someone from the U.S. potato industry was along. It was Lon Baley, Oregon potato grower and co-chair of the U.S. Potato Board International Marketing Committee.

Uniflex Marketing, the US Potato Board international representative in Japan, also participated in the festivities, which included a visit to Kofu, the site of the air lift of US hogs to help the Yamanashi Prefecture reestablish its herds after WWII. During the train ride, Baley and the other US producers got a chance to meet with the Secretary to discuss issues and opportunities related to the Administration’s National Export Initiative. Baley also had a one-on-one meeting with the Secretary back in Tokyo where he was able to raise US chip-stock market access issues and other concerns of the US potato industry.

While in Japan, Baley visited with three Japanese chip manufacturers to educate them about US chipping potatoes and discuss next steps for increasing US exports to Japan. A major stumbling block to increased sales is the overly stringent waste disposal requirements for the peels and water from the US potatoes.

That’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report. Brought to you in part by the Washington State Potato Commission. Nutrition today. Good health tomorrow. I’m Bob Hoff for Northwest Aginfo Net.