08/03/07 Potato industry urges return of import inspections to USDA

Farm and Ranch August 3, 2007 The National Potato Council has joined industry stakeholders in sending a letter to all members of the Senate urging their support for S. 887. That's a bill introduced by California's Senator Dianne Feinstein to transfer certain import and entry inspection responsibilities back to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The letter highlighted that while well-intended, the transfer of entry inspection responsibilities for agricultural products from APHIS to the Department of Homeland Security five years ago, has not met expectations. The letter states that the problems are many and essentially come from an institutional attitude that Homeland Security is more concerned about "drugs and thugs than bugs." According to the Washington State Potato Commission's Director of Trade Matt Harris it is also a matter of credibility which is enormously important in opening new markets and maintaining the ones we have. Hes notes that the mission of APHIS is not only to protect the nation's crop and environmental resources from foreign pests, but also to certify US exports to other countries. Harris says Homeland Security has its specific issues but APHIS is involved with the science of commodity inspection, which would also pick up threats of intentional contamination. 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.