Wider shipping window to Japan worth a million
Farm and Ranch Report September 28, 2011 On July 3rd this year the Japanese government announced the extension of the February to June shipping window for U.S. chipping potatoes to include July, effective immediately and permanently. John Toaspern, Vice President of International Marketing for the U.S. Potato Board, says the U.S. industry was ready to respond. More than ready actually. Toaspern: “Some of the processors in Japan really needed those potatoes so they had purchases and shipments pending waiting for the final word to come down. In fact even had some of them already on the water with alternative locations to go to in other countries if needed. But everybody was sort of anticipating which is why we were able to take advantage of it so robustly.” The value of that additional one month for U.S. chipping potatoes? Toaspern: “The exports that occurred during the month of July, in that additional window, were 2,153 metric tons which were valued at a million dollars.” The Potato Board says total exports from the U.S. to Japan in 2011 reached record levels with a value of 4.6 million dollars. The U.S. potato industry, USDA and the Snack Food Manufacturing Association in Japan all worked to get the expanded shipping window. That’s the U.S. Potato Update. Brought to you by the United States Potato Board. Maximizing return on growing investment. I’m Bob Hoff on Northwest Aginfo Net.
