02/06/06 Japan to take US chipping potatoes

The Japanese have agreed to import US chipping potatoes. US Potato Board vice president John Toasperin says this is an historic first. TOASPERIN "The reason the Japanese agreed to this, one of the reasons, is that they run short of potatoes in the time window. So this is a way for them to meet the needs of their plants and not really at this point we are not competing directly with the Japanese growers because this is a time frame when they were unable to meet the demand." The chipping potatoes destined for Japan will be inspected by a Japanese representative who is due to arrive in Idaho today as the first container is loaded with spuds. TOASPERIN "It is constrained in terms of the time period of February through June. Again it is under a strict protocol where the potatoes are basically in a controlled environment from the time they leave the shed through to being processed in Japan." Idaho, California and Texas will provide the potatoes for Japan but the entire Pacific Northwest is now well positioned to serve that market and others in the Pacific Asian rim. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott