Potatoes and USMCA
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson. While potato growers look to open up market demand overseas, in places like Japan and South Korea, industry officials are also monitoring the upcoming review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement scheduled for this summer.
Mike Wenkel, the chief operating officer of the National Potato Council, says there are parts of the agreement that need to be ironed out …
WENKEL … “Negotiations that are set to take place this year. As we look at production concerns across the country, there certainly appear to be, from the growers’ perspective, some areas that are of concern, and that includes the provisional aspects of British Columbia, as well as potential issues with currency rates, transportation, and different things that we hear from growers throughout the Midwest.”
And that, Wenkel says can be a lot to take in …
WENKEL … “We are seeking to get a better understanding of that by having the Trump administration look into doing a section 332 investigation, just to help us truly understand those potential impacts that are there, so that as we move into any need for changes, we have the facts versus what people are hearing on the street to help us make those decisions.”
Wenkel says while demand for potatoes across the globe is up, we're also seeing production and supply issues from other countries that are putting pressure on some of those traditional markets that we've had.
