03/29/06 United appeals to growers, cutback 10%

The United Potato Growers of America have put out the notice to growers; reduce your plantings this year by an average of ten percent from what you planted in 2004. CISSEL "So I would just encourage everyone to look at the positive results from this year's market and make sure we generate the number of potatoes so that we can have positive results in next year's market as well." Julia Cissel is the CEO of United of America. It was an oversupply of potatoes that led to unprofitable prices for all growers. Cissel says while new technology has increased yields in the field American consumers aren't increasing their demand for spuds. United also wanted to control the flow of potatoes into the consumer marketplace. CISSEL "We're very pleased because I do think that we have started to get some of the huge peaks and dips out of the supply and started to even it out so that we can properly manage supplies moving to our customers." In the past many farmers have followed a profitable year by planting more potatoes, a trend UPGA is trying to reverse. And a clarification. United of America has moved its offices in Salt Lake City but the United of Idaho co-op, the first co-op of its kind, is still based in Idaho Falls and remains in state. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott