Potatoes to Japan Update Pt 1
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson. The most recent talks with Japanese officials, that began nearly 20 years ago, about getting U.S. fresh potatoes access in Japan, ended just as they have every other year, in frustration.
National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles says nothing has changed …
QUARLES … “They do these bilateral meetings every single year. Last year was Tokyo, this year was Idaho Falls, which is great for the Japanese technical officials to be able to see the high quality of U.S. production, and they went to premier operations. That being said, this story remains the same.”
And by the same, Quarles says nearly verbatim …
QUARLES … “Last year in Tokyo, they said, we’re not going to commit to anything other than we will keep talking with you United States. And, amazingly, they repeated that, almost word for word, that exact same statement this year.”
Simply put, Quarles says the Japanese growers do not want the competition …
QUARLES … “I think their domestic industry would very much like to continue that forever. They would love to never have to move this process forward and so it’s incumbent upon us to continue pushing on them and getting them to, hopefully, get to a better place. But, right now, it is clearly foot dragging and digging their heels in.”
Listen tomorrow for more on this agonizing battle to get U.S. fresh potatoes into the Japanese market.
