Symposium and tour promote U.S. seed potatoes

Farm and Ranch Report August 17, 2011 The purpose of the biennial U.S. Potato Board’s International Seed Symposium and Tour is to plant in the minds of the foreign buyers and growers who attend, the idea to sow U.S. seed potatoes.

The U.S. Potato Board’s Sarah Mahler says the symposium was held earlier this month in Denver.

Mahler: “The symposium is a one-day event where we have U.S. experts come and talk about U.S. seed potato varieties, our seed certification system, as well as our U.S. industry. And then we also have an opportunity to get presentations from each of our international markets on what their market requirements are.”

After the symposium Mahler says attendees are divided into groups to tour different seed growing operations in the U.S.

Mahler: “This year we had participants from Egypt that visited Maine. We had participants from Sri Lanka, Burkina Faso, Mauritius visit California, and then we had participants from Nicaragua visiting Colorado and Brazil visited Wisconsin.”

Success is measured by what happens to U.S. seed potato sales.

Mahler: “And following the symposium and tour we do see an increase in sales. Not only for that year but for following years as well.”

The Potato Board says seed potato exports were up 13 percent in volume and eight percent in value this past fiscal year.

That’s the U.S. Potato Update. Brought to you by the United States Potato Board, maximizing return on grower investment. I’m Bob Hoff for Northwest Aginfo Net.