Cooperative nets positive response at Canadian trade show

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The enthusiasm that greeted regional fresh potato growers at the largest fresh produce event in Canada bodes well for the future.

The Washington and Oregon UNITED Fresh Potato Growers Cooperative recently exhibited at the Canadian Produce Marketing Association Annual Convention and Trade Show in Vancouver. The trade show is the largest fresh produce event of its kind in Canada, averaging 3,600 guests and more than 310 exhibits per year.

According to a press release from the cooperative, the recent removal of the British Columbia anti-dumping duties on some sizes of Washington State and Oregon Russet potatoes provided "an excellent event" to help raise the profile of the coop and its members in the Canadian marketplace.

Several other UNITED members exhibited at the show in addition to the cooperative, including Basin Gold of Pasco, Produce County Sales of Mattawa and Progressive Marketing Group of Quincy. Representatives of Blue Ribbon Produce and Agri-Pack of Pasco were also in attendance at the show.

"We had excellent success, a lot of traffic by the booth, a lot of customers," cooperative CEO Dave Long said. "We were there to promote Washington fresh potatoes and I think we had real good results."

Cooperative chair Allen Floyd said exhibitors talked to buyers at the trade show, and assured them they were just trying to get a fair return for their labor and investment. The message to British Columbia growers was to do the same thing, and join in the formation of their own cooperative in Canada.

"We want to try to hit a happy medium so everybody's happy," Floyd said. "We won't want a bunch of money. The goal is to get a fair return for our labor and investment."

Floyd said the purpose of the exhibit was to raise awareness of the cooperative in Canada and what it is trying to do. Cooperating with Canada is key, Floyd said, as their growers are so close to growers in Oregon and Washington that whatever is done in Canadian potato production affects growers here.

"I think this was very new to everyone up there," Long said. "I think most retailers and wholesalers would rather see a level marketplace than up and down prices."

There are only two places in the world where regional growers have a freight advantage over their competitors, Long said, and those are Canada and exports off shore. The Vancouver area represents 5 million people, which he said is "a very huge market for our potatoes.

" Hopefully, our coop member shippers will gain a new business and increased business because of the handouts we gave out at the show and the information we gave out," Long said, adding that the information included a brochure listing Washington members and their phone numbers.

"Hopefully, it's a long-term situation, where we stay united and control our own destiny," Floyd said.