11/27/06 Muir`s Whistle Stop tour for spud growers

Frank Muir is about to embark on his 'Whistle Stop' tour. As chief executive of the Idaho Potato Commission Muir is going to hold meetings in five cities during the next three days to explain the commission's marketing plans for the coming year. It will include Muir's request for a higher tax on Idaho potatoes. MUIR "I'm going to be talking about our marketing plan. I'm going to be showing them the research results from our advertising heavy up test and we're going to have a very open dialogue about the possibility of this tax increase that would go completely in support of increasing our ad campaign." Right now Idaho growers put ten cents per hundredweight into the Potato Commission budget. Muir says increasing the tax to 15 cents would pump over four million dollars additional money into a campaign to promote the Idaho potato. MUIR "Make sure you're investing in the current year for future year profit growth and I think that if we do that and present it that way one that I think there's a more likelihood that the next generation will see a very healthy Idaho potato industry and one that they'll want their grandkids to participate in as well." The first meeting is in Boise, at noon tomorrow. Then Muir will meet with growers and shippers on Wednesday morning in Burley, Wednesday noon in American Falls, Thursday noon in Blackfoot and Thursday evening in Idaho Falls. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott