04/03/07 United involved with new de-hy company

There's another major change in the Idaho potato industry. The United potato co-operative has joined Idaho Fresh-Pak Corporation and the RD Offutt Company to form the nation's second largest dehydrator. United President and CEO Jerry Wright says this new venture puts growers on the ground floor of the dehydrating industry, improve returns on processed grades and offers dividends from the new company known as United II. WRIGHT "But it will also give them additional tool to be able to manage their fresh crop, balance their fresh crop so that they can maximize the return they get out of fresh potatoes." Members of United II will be sole suppliers of potatoes for the new company. WRIGHT "The fresh market is so razor thin that it always crashes because of very small quantities of oversupply. With this relationship and partnership that we have with the dehy industry we can move those portions of the crop right into dehy that are plugging our pipeline and thereby allowing us to get a better return in the fresh market and a stable return out of the processed grade market." To become a member of the new company growers will have to join the parent organization, the United Potato Growers of Idaho. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott