12/05/06 IEDSA trade show

When people talk about Idaho agriculture they naturally think of potatoes, dairy, cattle, wheat, barley, sugarbeets, even hops and mint. BATT "It's actually ranked number nine in Idaho as far as agricultural production. It's about a 250 million dollar industry." Roger Batt is executive director of the Idaho Eastern Oregon Seed Association. Except for seed potatoes, the seed industry in Idaho is mostly centered in Canyon County. BATT "For instance Idaho raises 85 percent of the world's sweet corn seed varieties. I believe Idaho raises 144 different varieties of crops and many of those are seed varieties and also seed species." Next week on Tuesday and Wednesday, December 12th and 13th, the seed association will hold a trade show, something they do every five years. Batt says the show is free, open from 8 am to 5 pm at the Doubletree Riverside Hotel in Boise. BATT "And we're featuring different companies from all across the United States affiliated with the seed industry. We have approximately 50 exhibitors and we're expecting about 250 people from just Idaho seed companies alone." There's also a seed school for growers beginning Monday and the association's winter meeting will take place on Thursday, the 14th. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott