Potato shippers meet to develop marketing plan
Potato shippers meet to develop marketing plan
Growers and packers from the Washington & Oregon United Potato Growers Cooperative and the United of Idaho Potato Growers Cooperative met in Pasco, WA, recently to discuss the upcoming summer potato harvest and marketing period.
At the meeting, it was agreed that all three states must work together to market the crop in an orderly fashion and to assure the growers a fair market price for their potatoes.
The group met under the umbrella of the Capper Volstead Act, which allows growers and shippers to meet and discuss marketing, pricing and supply.
The Washington/Oregon and Idaho cooperatives are part of a larger cooperative, the United Potato Growers Cooperative of America. During the meeting a presentation was given which illustrated how many potatoes the market can utilize or absorb on a weekly basis through the month of August. Based on the discussions, it was felt by many at the meeting that the three states are well organized to market this year's potato crop in a coordinated manner.
"We discussed and agreed upon sales numbers that should greatly reduce the potential of oversupplying the marketplace in August," said Allen Floyd, president of the Washington-Oregon Potato Cooperative.
In other positive developments, it was recently announced by USDA that potato growers nationwide reduced plantings for the fresh market by 69,000 acres this year, making it the smallest acreage planted since the 1800s. This coupled with weather-related losses in some other states and the Canadian provinces will further reduce the supply.
United Potato Growers Cooperative of America was formed in March 2005 with the mission to bring order and stability to the North American potato industry."
At the meeting, it was agreed that all three states must work together to market the crop in an orderly fashion and to assure the growers a fair market price for their potatoes.
The group met under the umbrella of the Capper Volstead Act, which allows growers and shippers to meet and discuss marketing, pricing and supply.
The Washington/Oregon and Idaho cooperatives are part of a larger cooperative, the United Potato Growers Cooperative of America. During the meeting a presentation was given which illustrated how many potatoes the market can utilize or absorb on a weekly basis through the month of August. Based on the discussions, it was felt by many at the meeting that the three states are well organized to market this year's potato crop in a coordinated manner.
"We discussed and agreed upon sales numbers that should greatly reduce the potential of oversupplying the marketplace in August," said Allen Floyd, president of the Washington-Oregon Potato Cooperative.
In other positive developments, it was recently announced by USDA that potato growers nationwide reduced plantings for the fresh market by 69,000 acres this year, making it the smallest acreage planted since the 1800s. This coupled with weather-related losses in some other states and the Canadian provinces will further reduce the supply.
United Potato Growers Cooperative of America was formed in March 2005 with the mission to bring order and stability to the North American potato industry."
