Voigt updates growers at potato conference

KENNEWICK - Chris Voigt updated growers about long-range planning in the potato industry, research programs and government regulations during the annual Washington-Oregon Potato Conference.

Voigt, executive director of the Washington State Potato Commission, touched on the passage of free trade agreements in Korea, Panama and Columbia during the three-day event at Kennewick's Three Rivers Convention Center.

The agreements lifted tariffs between 18 and 20 percent, resulting in millions of dollars being pumped back into the U.S. potato industry annually.

During the past year, there were no new rules from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulating farm dust from farm equipment.

"That was a big concern we had," he said. "We actually went to the governor's office and met with the EPA administrator. (The administrator) Lisa Jackson came out the next day and said there were no new dust regulations. We were pretty happy about that."

There were no new agricultural taxes from the state Legislature last year, or directed cuts to agricultural research at Washington State University.

"Those were victories for us in an incredibly tough budget year," Voigt said.

Frozen tariffs from Mexico were eliminated.

"That was huge, we got stuck with a 20 percent tariff," he recalled. "That frozen business coming from Washington state to Mexico, transferred to Canada, you can see by the date when it happened."

There are many agricultural research programs that have been going on for a long time. All were eliminated except for two, he said.

"Our work with the appropriations committee saved that," Voigt said. A potato breeding earmark was rolled into the administration's budget and saved.

"It was a great win for our industry," he said.

Voigt was asked what the potato industry is going to look like in 2020.

He knows John Deere is introducing technology making it possible for a tractor to operate without a driver, as long as a tractor nearby has one.

Industry officials met in Spokane to discuss long-range planning in December.

"One of the things that came out of the meeting was the desire to educate the public about agriculture," Voigt said.

The potato commission met the next day and thought it was a good chance to start cooperating with other organizations, to discuss launching a campaign in Washington state.

A possible focus is improving the image of the French fry, he said.

Other long-range planning topics include irrigation water availability, the labor outlook and the outlook for transportation and trade.

An issue affecting transportation is the widening of the Panama Canal.

Many ships traveling from Asia go to Seattle and Tacoma and off-loaded containers of potatoes are shipped to the East Coast, then go by rail to Chicago.

If the Panama Canal is opened, it can take ships straight by the West Coast through the Panama Canal to the East Coast, affecting the state's ability to export potatoes and French fries to Asia.

"That's why the Panama Canal has an impact on our industry," Voigt said.

During the first week in February, he told the audience to check their email for an industry survey about helping the commission create their priorities for the next five years.

This year, the commission was diligent about cooperating with other areas of the agricultural industry.

"Our commission took a leadership role in trying to bring all of agriculture together," he said. "For the first time, we brought agriculture together to work on federal issues in Washington, D.C."

The commission traveled to Washington, D.C. in October to deliver a message about its priorities for the Farm Bill in October.

They were concerned it might be written in October because of the "Supercommittee," formally known as the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction.

The commission completed a congressional briefing for staff members of its delegation.

The commission returned the next week with the governor's office and did the same briefing for the congressional members.

Their efforts helped with immigration, trade and research, he said.