03/02/07 WSPC attends Nappo spud panel

Farm and Ranch March 2, 2007 Washington State Potato Commission Director of Trade Matt Harris as well as Potato Commissioners Frank Martinez and Randy Mullen represented Washington State at the North American Plant Protection Organization's Potato Panel meeting held recently in Toluca, Mexico. NAPPO as it is called, is a regional plant protection organization that coordinates the efforts among the United States, Canada, and Mexico to protect their plant resources as well as facilitating interregional trade. The Potato Commission's Harris talks about the issues the Potato Panel worked on. Harris: "Finalize protocols for the detection of Clavibacter . They will also finalize protocols for the isolation and identification of regulated nematodes, chit woody and a few others. They are also looking at determining the accuracy of pre-shipment testing for PVYN complex and other items as well. So we as industry participate as kind of the voice of how these regulations would be implemented on the ground if they were to take shape." A report of the NAPPO Potato Panel meeting will be given at the National Potato Council summer meeting to be held in July in Gaylord, Michigan. That's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report. Brought to you in part by the Washington State Potato Commission. Nutrition today! Good health tomorrow! I'm Bob Hoff on the Northwest Ag Information Network.