01/21/05 United Potato Growers of America

A couple of months ago nearly two dozen growers banded together to form the United Fresh Potato Growers of Idaho. Their goal was simple. They want to stabilize the price and production of potatoes. Other growers are watching Idaho and that's why a new national organization will be formed in Idaho Falls today. The United Potato Growers of America will include Idaho and Klamath Basin growers for now. BEESLEY "As we go forward it may well move to a more central location or if its more advantageous it may move to Washington DC, I don't know." David Beesley is secretary of the Idaho potato co-op. Its the hope that states like Colorado, Wisconsin and Maine will join the national co-op and that production will be capped. BEESLEY "There's a lot of resistance for Idaho to take a firm stand on how many acres we're going plant before we know the position of the other states are. It would be singularly suicidal for us to make a big move and then have other states jump and run on us and try to take market share." Idaho growers are trying to deplete their stock of potatoes. More than four million-hundredweight sacks of potatoes are going to charities and food banks. BEESLEY "We're also donating some potatoes to be manufactured into dehydrated products for international relief programs. We're moving a large block to cattle feed and then there is some that is being removed to compose." Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott