9-24 IAN Korea Buys ID Potatoes

 The Korean market for Idaho fresh potatoes recently re-opened with the exception of potatoes grown or packed in Bingham and Bonneville counties.  Korea suspended fresh potato imports in 2006 due to the discovery of the pale cyst nematode (PCN).  The nematode does not pose any threat to human health, but can reduce the yield of potatoes and other crops. There is no sign that the quality of tubers grown in Idaho has been affected. The announcement lifting the import ban follows a May, 2010 on-site visit of a Korean nematologist to Idaho to assess Idaho’s PCN Program. Here’s Idaho State Dept. of Agriculture spokesperson Laura Johnson: “We hosted a nematologist from Korea in May after several years of invitations including letters from the Governor.” State, industry and federal representatives were persistent in keeping this issue a priority in bi-lateral trade discussions with Korea. 

Korea imports roughly 17,000 tons of fresh potatoes annually. Imported fresh potatoes are primarily used in snack food manufacturing however, wholesalers have indicated that there are significant market opportunities for U.S. table stock potatoes.  Surveys suggest that Korean consumers like U.S. potatoes because they are juicer, water-cleaned, of higher quality and often less-expensive than domestic potatoes.