01/24/06 Spud wars, US versus Canada

The US and Canada have had many trade disputes in recent years over beef and softwood timber, just to name two. There have been battles over potatoes, specifically over ministerial exemptions, pest control and country of origin labeling. National Potato Council's Jim Wysocki says they've looked to the World Trade Organization for some resolutions. WYSOCKI "We must label it as product of the USA to ship to Canada but Canada does not have to label product as shipped to the US. We want to let the most efficient producer to the marketplace take place." Wysocki believes that US consumers should have the right to know where their food is coming from, and that's why country of origin labeling is so important to him. WYSOCKI "That doesn't mean they'll always buy US made product but they have a right to decide that. And as that happens growers naturally will have pride in their product, consumers will have pride in what they're buying and I think the whole food chain will benefit by knowing where we're selling it and what we're buying." He is also looking to growers on both sides of the border to solve some of the production problems that have hurt the potato industry. WYSOCKI "If we can start to ignore the border even exists that would be a perfect world." Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott