Potato Country January 2021 by Columbia Media Group

PotatoCountry.com â&#x20AC;˘ January 2021 Western focus. National impact.

Western Seed Reports

For the Advertiser Index click here

IPC Pivots, Plans Fighting Fusarium Looking Forward to the 2021-22 Marketing Season

CONSUMER MARKETI N G Harnessing consumers’ love of America’s favorite vegetable with a fully integrated advertising campaign promoting recipes, preparation tips, performance, nutrition education and inspiration.

POTATO INSPIRATION & EDUCATION New videos sure to capture attention and deliver a powerful combination of inspiration and smiles.

SOCIAL MEDIA Reaching millions of home cooks and athletes year-round with recipes, nutritional facts and performance-fueling tips. @potatogoodness

T E A M P OTATO Nurturing a thriving, engaged community of potato-loving athletes to reach their full potential through fueling with potatoes.

The official group of potato-fueled athletes.

Live events connect Team Potato members around exercising, cooking and spending time together.

Hundreds of team members are part of this active community, found on Facebook. Search “Team Potato.”

R E TA I L M A R K E T I N G Showcasing the opportunity that exists with potatoes for retailers as the number one volume-driving commodity, from produce through the entire store.

New research explains how consumers are shopping for potatoes across the store and how their shopping patterns are changing. Reaching retailers through media to deliver all the latest in potato research, trends and merchandising tips.

P O TAT O N U T R I T I O N Ensuring potato nutrition is well understood and valued by everyone, from nutrition influencers to consumers.

Constance Brown-Riggs, MSEd, RDN, CDCES, CDN, and award-winning dietitian.

Working with influential nutrition professionals to advocate for potatoes as a nutrient-dense vegetable.

w w w . Po t a t o Co u n t r y . c o m

Vol. 37 No. 1

PO Box 333 Roberts, Idaho 83444 Phone: (208) 520-6461

Country Western focus. National impact.

Table of Contents

Dave Alexander ...........................dave@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com Publisher, Advertising

Denise Keller ..............................editor@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com Editor

Andy Jensen.......................................... www.nwpotatoresearch.com

January 2021

Insect Identification

Jeff Miller .....................................................jeff@millerresearch.com Disease Identification

Bruce Huffaker ................................................. napmn@napmn.com

6 Going Viral

Market Report

Dale Lathim ............................................................... dale@pgw.net

A Seed Grower’s Pandemic Experience

Contacts

Potato Growers of Washington

Brian Feist ...................................brian@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com

IPC Pivots, Plans

Operations Manager, Advertising

Big Idaho Potato Harvest Meeting

EDITORIAL INFORMATION Potato Country is interested in newsworthy material related to potato production and marketing. Contributions from all segments of the industry are welcome. Submit news releases, new product submissions, stories and photos via email to: editor@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com.

12 Western Seed Reports 22 Fighting Fusarium

Variety Susceptibility to Fusarium Dry Rot and How to Manage Seed Decay

28 2020’s Impact on Industry, NPC National Potato Council

30 When Should You Eat Potatoes to Fuel Performance? Research Says Before, During and After Exercise! Potatoes USA

ADVERTISING For information about advertising rates, mechanics, deadlines, copy submission, mailing, contract conditions and other information, call Dave Alexander at (208) 520-6461 or email dave@PotatoCountry.com. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION U.S. $24 per year / Canada $40 per year / Foreign $80 per year Subscriptions can be entered online at www.potatocountry.com or call (503) 724-3581. Email address changes/corrections to brian@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com or send to Potato Country, PO Box 333, Roberts, ID 83444. Potato Country magazine (ISSN 0886-4780), is published eight times per year and mailed under a standard rate mailing permit at Idaho Falls, Idaho and at additional mailing offices. It is produced by Columbia Media Group, PO Box 333, Roberts, ID 83444 Copyright 2020. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose without the express written permission of Columbia Media Group. For information on reprints call (208) 520-6461.

34 Irrigation Essentials

Editorial Board

Buyers' Guide

36 Looking Forward to the 2021-22 Marketing Season Market Report

Gary Roth

Chris Voigt

Test your knowledge of the disease that causes these markings on page 27.

On The Cover A commercial field of potatoes in Washington’s Skagit County is pictured in late July 2020. See how the seed supply shaped up for your 2021 crop in our Western Seed Reports on pages 12-20 Photo courtesy Benita Matheson, Washington State Department of Agriculture

Potato Country

January 2021

Executive Director

Washington State Potato Commission

Oregon Potato Commission

(509) 765-8845

(503) 239-4763

Departments 21 27 31 32 38

Insect Quiz Disease Quiz Calendar In the News PGW Column

Nina Zidack

Frank Muir

Jim Ehrlich

Montana Seed Potato Certification

Idaho Potato Commission

Colorado Potato Administrative Committee

Director

(406) 994-3150

President/CEO

(208) 334-2350

President/CEO

(719) 852-3322

Raise your grade with Nutrienâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CAN17. This fast-acting, easy to apply and highly effective fertilizer contains two forms of nitrogen that are designed for quick response and sustained feeding. With improved water penetration to meet the cropâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s N requirements during key growth periods, it gives potatoes higher quality and greater yields for high-grade profits. Ask your retailer for the original CAN17 from Nutrien, or visit liquidcropnutrients.com

ÂŠ 2020 Nutrien.

10/20-73962

Going Viral A Seed Grower’s Pandemic Experience

otato seed growers Bill and Peggy Buyan with Buyan Ranch in Sheridan, Montana, had an interesting and challenging 2020. Like many growers in many states, they were forced to destroy tons of potatoes due to the coronavirus catastrophe and shutdown. The growers gave away 75,000 pounds of spuds locally, but that amounted to a smidgen of their 700 tons. They put 150 tons into a silage bunker to feed the ranch’s cattle and buried the rest in a hole. Business Insider, a financial and business news website, picked up the story and produced a video with the Buyans. Their plight was heartbreaking, and consequently, the YouTube video went viral. As of late December, the video had over 3 million views and over 10,000

comments since it was posted on June 28. These totals increase daily. The video touched a collective nerve with the public. Calls and emails even came into the Potato Country office from people looking to donate money to the farm. Others expressed dismay and disappointment that food was being destroyed and wasted. One man from Nigeria wanted to know what he could do to get free potatoes to his country, as its citizens are literally starving to death. We checked in with the Buyans in late November to get their story. Note that the following interview has been edited for space and clarity. To hear the Buyans’ full, unedited interview, visit www. thepotatopodcast.com.

Potato Country: How did the coronavirus shutdown start for you, and what led to destroying your seed potatoes? Peggy: In March, we started shipping out to our customers in Washington. We got the phone call as we were shipping that our biggest customers didn’t want to take potatoes because the virus had hit. Things were closing down. The big companies (processors) had so much in storage that they didn’t want the growers in Washington growing as much. So they cut them back. Therefore, our customers called and cut us back. Exports were closed. Restaurants were closed. Schools were closed. At that point, there wasn’t a demand for potatoes. Potato Country: What did you do with the potatoes?

The Buyan family (from left), Marcus, Clinton, Mike, Peggy and Bill, stand in front of a storage facility in Sheridan, Mont.

Potato Country

January 2021

Peggy: Once we knew we would not be able to find a home for them, I put it on social media about giving spuds away. On Fridays, people could back up trailers or pickups under our piler and load them coming right out of the cellar. Two dump trailers came from Helena, 100 miles from us, They gave them to the homeless and the food shelters and food banks. The TV station up there got word of it, interviewed them and that story went viral. It was just everywhere, and that’s how Business Insider contacted us. On Saturdays, I would give out potatoes on the street to our local people, or even people that were just going through our town would stop and get a sack.

Potato Country: I don’t think people understand the big picture of transportation and storage.

Potato Country: What was it like talking to people from all over the world?

Peggy: Agriculture people are just good people. We try and look out for each other.

Bill: Yeah, that’s right. People didn’t understand that you’re talking about a perishable commodity. And especially seed potatoes which have not been treated for sprout control or anything like that. Our cellars here in Montana are not refrigerated. We depend on Mother Nature’s temperatures to keep them cool. Once it starts warming up in the spring, you can’t control that temperature. They start to sprout and grow. It’s a pretty short timeframe that they have to go somewhere; otherwise, we were going to have a mess in the storages. Out here, there are no other options. We don’t have dehydrators or processors or fresh pack sheds. We’re limited on what we can do with them.

Bill: I think there’s more awareness of the public that food is just not in the stores. It just doesn’t happen. There are farmers and ranchers and processors and truckers that it takes to get that food there. I think in some ways, it was good that it opened the eyes of the general public about our food and where it comes from. Just having people from all over the world acknowledge that there’s a problem, you realize what need is out in the world. To me, it was a sin the amount of food that was wasted in the United States for two, three months there this spring. I don’t think any of us can put a hand on how much got thrown away – from chickens to pork to vegetables and fruit. Hopefully, the public is somewhat more understanding. There are even some websites now to help get food from where it’s available to where it’s needed.

Bill: One of the growers told us that they realize the seed industry – especially the Montana seed industry – is vital to the Columbia Basin. I would guess 70 to 80 percent of the seed grown in Montana ends up being replanted there. They realize for them to get good yields and good crops and good quality, it starts with good seed. They understand that we have to stay viable. For them, it’s a big cog for them to stay viable.

Peggy: I don’t think we realized how poor some of those countries are. Just like the call I got last week; he said they are eating out of dumpsters. We are concerned about them, like they are concerned about us.

Potato Country: How are things now?

Potato Country: What happened after the Business Insider video hit? Peggy: It was actually incredible. We’ve gotten calls from all over the world. People didn’t understand the short window we had before they started sprouting. By the time the video went out, the potatoes were already buried. It broke our hearts. It was one of our toughest days as a family, watching that crop being buried when you have put your heart into it. People didn’t understand why we were burying them when there are people starving. It wasn’t just us. There wasn’t a grower in the state of Montana that didn’t have to bury seed. We just didn’t have a way to get them out. Bill: We had calls from Korea, Saudi Arabia and Europe. It was just unbelievable. We do have contacts now with groups and people. If this ever happens again, a person may be able to move some of their potatoes. and at least someone would benefit. Some of the organizations are even willing to pay for them or pay for transportation and arrange to move them.

Potato Country: You lost a lot of money. There was a cost to you to even bury those potatoes to get rid of them. Bill: We were very fortunate. We have such good customers. I think people in general in agriculture are good, downto-earth people. During the summer, we got paid for almost all the potatoes we dumped that were under contract. It was unbelievable to us. A couple of our customers told us they were going to try to pay for them if they could financially and they did. We were so fortunate. The amount that we dumped and lost money on wasn’t a considerable amount. At the time of the video, we hadn’t been paid on any of them. And then as the summer went on, customers contacted us and told us what they were going to do, and it was just incredible. It says a lot for the type of people that are involved in agriculture.

Peggy: We filed for the ag stimulus money, and we did get some of that. In return, we didn’t feel we should be paid twice. So we repaid those customers in Washington for that seed. We felt we had to do that. Bill: We returned to them whatever we got from the government.

Peggy: We had a beautiful crop. It was probably one of our nicest crops. Bill will send out contracts at the end of the year. Who knows if the country is going to be shut down again? Hopefully, it won’t, and in March, we’ll move our spuds out of the cellar and don’t have to dump any. Bill: Last spring was so unprecedented. Everything just shut down like turning a valve off or a faucet off. In my mind, if they close it down tighter, I think the channels are open now to move product through the stores and especially fastfood restaurants with drive-thrus and take-outs. I personally don’t think it will shut down as hard this time. It won’t be just completely dead. Peggy: If it does get shut down, at least we know how to get things out. We just didn’t know. We have never gone through this before. So maybe we’ll have a way to distribute what we can.

PotatoCountry.com

IPC Pivots, Plans J

ust like almost every other big event in 2020, the Big Idaho Potato Harvest Meeting was different than the norm, with organizers condensing the usual full-day event into an hour-long Zoom call. The meeting included presentations from Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council (NPC), and Blair Richardson, CEO and president of Potatoes USA, reporting on the organizations’ efforts to strengthen the potato industry by improving growers’ short-term and longterm economic position. Frank Muir, president and CEO of the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC), followed with the annual IPC update and marketing plan for the 2020-21 crop year. He detailed what the IPC is doing to build the Idaho potatoes brand, strengthen its equity, and expand its reach across the U.S. and beyond.

Frank Muir

Annual IPC Update

Muir set the stage by reminding his audience that 2020 was full of challenges, from cold weather that led to fear of a French fry famine early in the year to the COVID-19 pandemic which led to drastic changes in demand for potatoes and potato products. He went on to explain how the IPC pivoted to adjust its programs in response to those challenges. To start, the IPC helped redirect foodservice cartons to retail shelves, ultimately moving 37 million pounds of potatoes from foodservice to retail. The commission also worked with operators in the foodservice industry to shift business to a delivery or takeout mode and continued to supply economic and easy-to-prepare potato recipes. In addition, the IPC educated the public on how to store and use potatoes and worked to reinforce to consumers the value and essential nature of potatoes in family meals. On the government side, the commission worked with the NPC and

Potato Country

January 2021

Kam Quarles

state organizations to secure financial support for growers and helped government leaders see the importance of including potatoes in the USDA bonus buy program, Trade Mitigation Program and Farmers to Families Food Box Program, as well as establish meaningful inclusion of potatoes in the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.

“What could have been a total disaster, we have been able to clean up this crop and move it at profitable prices,” Muir said.

Marketing Plans

Muir acknowledged that as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and other current trends, “we’re in a new world

Who You Calling A Side Dish

idahopotato.com

With so many people stuck at home and stocking up on Idaho® Potatoes these days, it’s only natural they’d be looking for interesting new ways to serve them. So now, we’re giving them some. Our new national TV commercial moves our potatoes to the center of the plate and

provides consumers with inspiration for a whole new way to serve them—as the main course. Look for the spot airing on stations including CNN, Fox News, The Food Network, Headline News, Hallmark and more. And help spread the word. Idaho® Potatoes—they’re more than just a side dish.

Big Idaho Potato Harvest Meeting

Blair Richardson

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today.” Going forward, the foodservice industry will have to be more flexible, he said, pointing out the continued need for curbside, drive-thru and take-out service. At the same time, consumers are expected to continue cooking more meals at home. The IPC plans to respond with programs to address these conditions. Outlining the IPC’s 2020-21 marketing plans, Muir said television advertising will continue to be at the foundation of the commission’s marketing programs. The IPC has a new TV spot that promotes Idaho potatoes as more than a side dish. New this year, the IPC will be advertising and promoting on digital formats including www.allrecipes.com, along with online grocery shopping sites to leverage changing consumer behavior due to the pandemic; 30 percent of consumers are now ordering groceries online for curbside pickup. Plans call for the Big Idaho Potato Truck, which returned home at the beginning of the pandemic, to hit the road in March for its 10th anniversary tour; however, plans are tentative. Wrapping up with a brief update on international markets, Muir reported that Idaho is shipping fresh potatoes to more than 20 countries. The IPC plans to focus on Southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia and Singapore, because of the growth happening there and also refocus attention on opportunities in Taiwan. The commission will also invest efforts in Latin America, especially Mexico, and will expand in other markets as it makes sense. “When we see a need to change a program or add a program, we will do it. We will pivot on a moment’s notice as the industry sees a need,” Muir said. “We’ve proven that year after year and no better year than this past year.”

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Potato Country

January 2021

There’s only one move

to checkmate .

For a winning potato season, you have to be strategic. You are not only combatting diseases like Early blight and White mold for this season’s crop, but also fighting them for seasons to come. With Luna Tranquility® fungicide, you get two different modes of action with rotational and tankmixing capabilities. So, fight diseases year in and year out with Luna Tranquility. Learn more at LunaPotatoGamePlan.com. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Not all products are approved and registered in all states and may be subject to use restrictions. The distribution, sale, or use of an unregistered pesticide is a violation of federal and/or state law and is strictly prohibited. Check with your local product dealer or representative or U.S. EPA and your state pesticide regulatory agency for the product registration status in your state. Bayer, Bayer Cross, Luna,® and Luna Tranquility® are registered trademarks of Bayer Group. For additional product information, call toll-free 1-866-99-BAYER (1-866-992-2937) or visit our website at www.BayerCropScience.us. Bayer CropScience LP, 800 North Lindbergh Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63167. ©2021 Bayer Group. All rights reserved.

PotatoCountry.com

Colorado Seed Potato Crop Western Seed Reports

he growing season in Colorado was a rollercoaster in 2020. Planting went well with warm weather and little to no rain or snow. However, we were hit with two frosts, one June 10 and the other July 1. Other than the two frost events, we had a warm summer with warm days and cool nights, making it ideal for potato production. Then, on Sept. 9, just as harvest was getting underway, our seed growers woke up to 12 inches of snow on the ground. This kept everyone out of the field temporarily, but things warmed up and the snow melted in just a couple of days. Our post-harvest test would normally take place on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii. However, due to COVID and other factors, our 2020 post-harvest test will mostly take place in a local greenhouse. The 2020 accepted certified acreage for sale after summer field inspections was 6,537 acres, up from 6,180 acres in 2019.

By Andrew Houser, Colorado Potato Certification Service

Potato virus Y (PVY) is still the biggest disease challenge our seed growers face. Colorado’s top five certified varieties in 2020 were Russet Norkotah selections, Canela Russet, Teton Russet, Reveille Russet and Centennial Russet. The 2020 certified seed directory is posted at http://potatoes.colostate.edu/ programs/potato-certification-service/crop-directory. Additional information on Colorado’s certified seed can be found at www. coloradocertifiedpotatogrowers.com. All seed lots imported into Colorado are required to undergo a post-harvest test, a lab test for PVYN and a lab test for late blight to comply with the late blight quarantine for seed coming into the San Luis Valley. Check our website for testing specifics: http:// potatoes.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Late-BlightQuar-2014.pdf.

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Potato Country

January 2021

What’s under your crop is under your control.

You can’t see nematodes, but you can protect from their damage. Use Velum® Prime to protect your root and tuber crops from damage caused by nematodes. Long-lasting and wide-spectrum nematode protection that also suppresses Early blight, Early dying and White mold.

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Effectively manages nematodes, leading to an average increased yield of +41 CWT/A1 with an average increase in profits of $279/A.2

For more information, visit www.VelumPrime.com. Trial conducted by Miller Research, Acequia, Idaho, 2015. Average price per CWT based on USDA Crop Production 2017 Summary Report.

ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Not all products are approved and registered in all states and may be subject to use restrictions. The distribution, sale, or use of an unregistered pesticide is a violation of federal and/or state law and is strictly prohibited. Check with your local product dealer or representative or U.S. EPA and your state pesticide regulatory agency for the product registration status in your state. Bayer, Bayer Cross, and Velum® are registered trademarks of Bayer Group. For additional product information, call toll-free 1-866-99-BAYER (1-866-992-2937) or visit our website at www.BayerCropScience.us. Bayer CropScience LP, 800 North Lindbergh Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63167. ©2020 Bayer Group. All rights reserved.

PotatoCountry.com

Idaho Seed Potato Crop Western Seed Reports

he 2020 growing season in Idaho was relatively uneventful â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a welcome change from last year. The season began with good weather, and planting was completed without serious interruption. Good growing conditions continued throughout the season and into harvest. Yields are reported as good, and seed quality going into storage is reported as good to excellent. The 2020 crop appears to have a very nice size profile. Seed health is also good. During summer inspections, the number of seed lots with visually detectable levels of Potato virus Y (PVY) was the lowest it has been in 10 years. Additionally, there were no detections of bacterial ring rot during field inspections. At the conclusion of the second round of field inspections, a total of 30,068

Potato Country

January 2021

By Alan Westra, Idaho Crop Improvement Association

acres are eligible for final certification. This is essentially unchanged from 2019. Excluding proprietary genetics, the 2020 acreage accepted for certification represents a total of 144 varieties, selections and advanced clones. For 2020, the top varieties were Russet Burbank (35 percent of total acreage accepted), Russet Norkotah (all strains, 19 percent of total), Ranger Russet (11 percent), Clearwater Russet (5 percent), Alturas (4 percent) and Umatilla Russet (2 percent). Russet Burbank acreage was down approximately 11 percent versus last year, while Russet Norkotah and Alturas acreage increased 7 and 18 percent, respectively. A complete listing of the 2020 seed potato crop is available in the 2020 Idaho Certified Seed Potato Directory posted on the Idaho Crop Improvement Inc. website at www.idahocrop.com.

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Montana Seed Potato Crop Western Seed Reports

ontana seed potato growers reported above average yields and quality, with 95 percent of the crop in the cellars by Oct. 10 and most farms finishing in record time. All of the crop was harvested without frost exposure, and the overall quality is excellent. The 2020 growing season was very mild throughout Montana. Potatoes were planted without significant rain delays in the spring and got off to a good start with nice June weather and reached row closure before any hot weather. Most growers had initiated vine kill by Sept. 1 and were aided by a frost on Sept. 7, which finished off most of the vines. September and the first half of October were warmer than average, but temperatures were never too high and excessive pulp temperatures were not an issue. Montana seed potato acreage increased from 10,440 acres in 2019 to 10,878 acres. Russet Burbank is still the dominant variety at 3,852 acres, accounting for 35 percent of acreage. Umatilla Russet is the second most widely produced variety, increasing

By Nina Zidack, Montana Seed Potato Certification from 1,376 acres in 2019 to 1,496 acres in 2020 and making up 14 percent of acreage. Ranger Russet acreage is steady at 1,299 acres. Clearwater Russet acreage had been on a steady rise since its introduction to Montana in 2009, but has plateaued at 1,886 acres and is in fourth place in terms of total acreage. Alturas acreage was up slightly from 623 acres in 2019 to 652 acres in 2020. Russet Norkotah selections were up from 1,116 acres in 2019 to 1,210 acres in 2020. Standard Norkotah acreage remains very low and now accounts for only 39 acres in Montana. Norland and Dark Red Norland are the most widely grown colored varieties in Montana but are down from 110 acres combined in 2019 to 88 acres in 2020. Chip varieties including Atlantic, Snowden and Lamoka represent a small portion of Montana’s acreage at 123 acres, which is up from 99 acres in 2019. There are 55 varieties of potatoes registered for certification. Montana conducts its post-harvest test on Oahu, Hawaii. Samples from Montana certified fields were planted Nov. 18-20 and evaluations began Dec. 29. Leaves are picked from every plant in every plot and sent to Montana State University for virus testing (PVY, PVX and PVA). In addition, duplicate samples of early-generation seed lots are tested using dormant tubers to supply the growers with preliminary information on the suitability of their lots for recertification.

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Oregon Seed Potato Crop Western Seed Reports

he Oregon Seed Certification Service accepted 2,977 acres of seed potatoes for certification in 2020, with all but 104 qualifying for certification as of the last field inspection. This is about 200 acres more than our 10-year average. Lots not accepted for certification had either been withdrawn for poor stands, nematode or market re-directions. The red-skinned, white-fleshed variety Ciklamen was the number-one variety produced in Oregon in 2020 at 269 acres. Clearwater Russet, Lamoka and Gala, as well as several Frito-Lay varieties were also at the top of the listings. A complete list of the varieties and acres produced in Oregon, as well as more detail on the field readings, can be found at http:// seedcert.oregonstate.edu/potatoes under “Seed Report and Directory of Growers” and “Oregon Certified Seed Potato Field Potato Country-.5H page.v1.pdf Readings 21-01 and Statistics.”

Potato Country

January 2021

By Jeff McMorran, Oregon Seed Certification Service

Other than some hot temperatures and high winds in some areas in late August and early September, planting and early growing conditions were near ideal in 2020. The extensive wildfires in Oregon were not in any of our seed producing areas; however, seed growers did experience several weeks of smoke, at times intense, and most highways over the Cascade Range were closed. Harvest conditions were near ideal in most areas, and harvest proceeded with little to report other than occasional pink rot, soft rot or scab. Our harvest inspectors have reported good overall tuber quality with relatively few internal issues. 2020 is the first year that Oregon has adopted the national standard of using the “field year” terminology (i.e. FY1, FY2, FY3, etc.) for class, rather than the longstanding “generation” terminology 1(i.e. 2020-12-03 8:43 AM G3, etc.). We will nuclear, G1, G2,

also be using the post-harvest test readings as a basis for determining a seed lot’s eligibility for re-certification and no longer use it for downgrading lots.

2021 POTATO D.C. FLY-IN

Virtual

FEBRUARY 22-25

S TA N D I N G U P F O R P O TAT O E S O N C A P I T O L H I L L Join growers from across the U.S. in advocating for the potato industry virtually to lawmakers in Washington, D.C. Just like on your farm, work on Capitol Hill doesn’t stop in a pandemic, and now more than ever, it’s important to discuss the critical issues affecting your business with members of Congress and agency officials. • Share personal stories of how actions taken in D.C. directly affect your business and the potato industry overall • Meet virtually with your congressional representatives and key staff to discuss industry priorities • Hear from experts and top political analysts on policies and politics impacting your farm

NATIONALPOTATOCOUNCIL.ORG PotatoCountry.com

Washington Seed Potato Crop Western Seed Reports

By Benita Matheson, Washington State Department of Agriculture

total of 3,526 acres of seed potatoes in Washington were entered for certification during the 2020 growing season. This is a 44-acre decrease from last year. The top four varieties grown were Ciklamen with 511 acres, Chieftain at 341 acres, Russet Burbank with 263 acres and variety 907-15 at 245 acres. The total acres planted include 135 potato varieties ranging in size from partial acre plots to 110-acre fields. Most seed lots are fewer than 20 acres in size and include numbered clones, table stock, processing and heirloom variety potatoes. 2020 saw 465 seed lots entered for certification from eight farms. Washington’s climate provided ideal growing conditions this season. Washington State Department of Agriculture staff noted that late blight and black leg disease pressure was slight to non-existent. Harvest began the second week of September, with weather being dry. Harvest wrapped up in late October. Yields were above average with generally good quality, size and condition of seed lots going into storage. Seed shipments to southern climates began in late fall and is continuing into the winter months, with the majority of seed to be shipped in early spring.

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Insect Biology Quiz

This material is provided courtesy of Andy Jensen, Ph.D., Manager of the Northwest Potato Research Consortium. For more information, visit www.nwpotatoresearch.com.

Dr. Andy Jensen

A key feature of integrated pest management (often abbreviated as IPM) is correct recognition of both pest and beneficial insects. Below are photos of small insects that are common in potato fields and important to recognize and know something about. 1. Are there any beneficial predatory insects in these photos? If so, which ones? 2. What is each insect in these photos?

D Answers on page 27

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Fighting Fusarium Variety Susceptibility to Fusarium Dry Rot and How to Manage Seed Decay By Dr. Jeff Miller, Dr. Terry Miller, Trent Taysom, Cheryn Clayton and Scott Anderson; Miller Research Dr. Nora Olsen, Lynn Woodell, Dr. Andrew Hollingshead, Rabecka Hendricks and Tyler Spence; University of Idaho

he cut surface of a potato seed piece is close to an all-you-can-eat buffet for some potato pests. Fusarium fungi are some of those pests that prefer to feast on wounded potato tissue. Several species of Fusarium are capable of causing dry rot, but only a few are common. Fusarium sambucinum has historically been the most prevalent species and can cause decay of potato seed pieces and of harvested tubers in potato storage (Fig. 1). Fusarium coeruleum (Fig. 2) has also been common in southern Idaho and can be more damaging to potato seed pieces than F. sambucinum.

Managing Fusarium dry rot requires multiple management strategies, including: 1.Purchasing seed with as little dry rot as possible. A simple look at samples from potential seed sources will help reveal the degree of Fusarium infection from harvest injuries. 2. Sterilizing seed cutting equipment between seed lots. 3. Sharpening the cutting knives to reduce additional tuber cell injury. 4. Avoiding time between cutting and planting, if possible, unless properly suberized and managed. Pre-cutting can give the fungus a head start. 5. Treating with an effective seed treatment.

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6. Avoiding planting into cold soil temperatures or planting cold seed into warm soil temperatures. 7. Minimizing wounding at harvest. 8. Creating good wound healing conditions in the initial days of storage.

Evaluation of Varieties, Treatments

A research project was sponsored during the 2020 growing season by the Northwest Potato Research Consortium and was aimed at evaluating the susceptibility of different varieties to Fusarium dry rot. Potato seed of eight russet varieties was inoculated with F. sambucinum and then exposed to three seed treatments: 1) no treatment, 2) CruiserMaxx Potato Extreme + mancozeb (MZ) dust or 3) Emesto Silver + MZ dust. After inoculation and storage for three weeks, seed pieces were cut to evaluate seed piece decay. Untreated Ranger Russet and Umatilla Russet had the highest Fusarium dry rot seed piece decay incidence (Table 1). We expected Clearwater Russet to also have a high decay incidence based on previous grower observations, but it did not exhibit high susceptibility in this initial trial. CruiserMaxx Potato Extreme + MZ dust and Emesto Silver + MZ dust significantly reduced dry rot seed decay incidence for all varieties. CruiserMaxx Potato Extreme + MZ and Emesto Silver + MZ dust performed similarly for Russet Burbank, Russet Norkotah, Umatilla Russet, Teton Russet and Dakota Russet. Umatilla Russet was the most susceptible variety for seed decay even with a seed treatment. CruiserMaxx Potato Extreme was the more effective of the two seed treatments for Ranger Russet, Alturas and Clearwater Russet. Only non-inoculated seed from the untreated and CruiserMaxx Potato

Figure 1. These photos show examples of Fusarium dry rot caused by Fusarium sambucinum.

Figure 2. These photos show examples of Fusarium dry rot caused by Fusarium coeruleum. Note the different color of decayed tissue between the photos in Figure 1 and the photos in Figure 2.

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Fighting Fusarium Table 1. Effect of variety and seed treatment on Fusarium dry rot seed piece decay, 2020

Fusarium Dry Rot Incidence (%) CruiserMaxx Potato Emesto Silver + Untreated Extreme + MZ dust MZ dust 82 ab 6 fgh 12 efg 97 a 5 ghi 27 cde 28 cde 1 jk 2 ij 25 cde 0k 8 fgh 100 a 32 cd 38 bc 34 cd 15 def 30 cd 42 bc 1 jk 3 hi 38 bc 1 jk 0k

Variety 1 Russet Burbank 2 Ranger Russet 3 Russet Norkotah TX-296 4 Alturas 5 Umatilla Russet 6 Teton Russet 7 Clearwater Russet 8 Dakota Russet

Values followed by different lowercase letters are significantly different from each other at p=0.05.

Extreme + MZ dust treatments was planted in the field. Plants were raised using standard commercial practices and harvested in mid-September. After harvest, tubers were bruised and inoculated with the Pythium leak pathogen as part of another portion of this study. During the evaluation of Pythium PILERS

2007 Milestone 42” all belt, 230 3ph remote 2002 Spudnik 560 36” BC 2000 Wemco 36” all belt, 480 3ph, remote 1999 Double L 831 BC, 36”BC Elev.x 49’Tel. 230 V 3ph, remote 1996 Double L 831 BC Elev., 36”x 49’Tel. 230 V 3ph, remote 1993 Double L 831 All belt Elev., 36”x49’Tel. 230 volt 3ph 1992 Double L 811 30” BC Elev. x 49’Tel., remote 1991 Spudnik 550/525 36” BC Elev x 48’Tel., 3ph remote 1990 DL 811 30” BC Elev. x 49’Tel. 3ph Remote 1986 Double L 831 BC Elev., 36”x 49’Tel. 230 volt 3ph, remote 1985 DL 813 BC Elev. 30”x49’Tel. 3ph 1984 Spudnik 450 36” 3ph all belt Remote

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harvest evaluation. Clearwater Russet and Dakota Russet responded opposite from the cut seed test. Fusarium dry rot incidence in the seed test was moderate, but the infection levels were among the highest in the post-harvest test. Currently, additional trials are being conducted looking at bruised, inoculated

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leak, significant levels of natural infection of Fusarium dry rot were observed and recorded. For Ranger Russet and Umatilla Russet, the results in the harvested tubers were similar to what was seen with the cut seed test. Russet Burbank, which had a high incidence in the seed test, was relatively low for incidence in the post-

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(with Fusarium) tubers with results to come this spring.

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Due to the reported high susceptibility of Clearwater Russet to seed decay, an additional seed treatment trial was performed using only that variety and an expanded number of seed treatments. This time, CruiserMaxx Vibrance was used instead of CruiserMaxx Potato Extreme. Additionally, CruiserMaxx Vibrance and Emesto Silver were tested alone and in combination with MZ dust. A fir bark treatment was also included. Dry rot seed piece decay incidence was high in this second trial, with 100 percent of all seed pieces being infected in the untreated check and with the fir bark treatment (Table 3). All other seed treatments reduced the incidence and severity of dry rot. The CruiserMaxx Vibrance + MZ dust was the most effective in reducing disease incidence and was more effective than either product alone. Mancozeb dust continues

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Fighting Fusarium Table 2. Natural Fusarium dry rot incidence after harvest

Variety 1 Russet Burbank 2 Ranger Russet 3 Russet Norkotah TX-296 4 Alturas 5 Umatilla Russet 6 Teton Russet 7 Clearwater Russet 8 Dakota Russet

% Dry Rot Incidence 20 bc 29 abc 17 c 17 c 36 a 16 c 43 a 34 ab

to provide consistent Fusarium protection. Fir bark alone offered no protection. These results indicate seed treatments will reduce dry rot seed piece decay. However, the Clearwater trial showed that seed treatments alone may not completely control the disease under high inoculum loads and seed injury. The use of a premium seed treatment in combination with mancozeb dust is an important part of managing Fusarium dry rot, but all control measures should be considered.

Values followed by different lowercase letters are significantly different from each other at p=0.05.

Table 3. Effect of seed treatments on Fusarium dry rot seed piece decay for Clearwater Russet

Ranger Russets Virus TESTED • Generation III Since 1952 Pat & Neil Fleming • Pablo, MT 59855 (406) 675-8620 • (406) 253-2365

Treatment 1 Untreated check 2 MZ dust 3 CruiserMaxx Vibrance 4 Emesto Silver 5 CruiserMaxx Vibrance MZ dust 6 Emesto Silver MZ dust 7 Fir bark

Rate/Unit 1 lb/cwt 0.5 fl oz/cwt 0.31 fl oz/cwt 0.5 fl oz/cwt 1 lb/cwt 0.31 fl oz/cwt 1 lb/cwt 1 lb/cwt

Fusarium Dry Rot Seed Piece Decay % Incidence Severity (0-100) 100 a 90 b 69 c 40 c 61 c 23 d 85 b 37 c 45 d 17 e 79 b

37 c

100 a

97 a

Values followed by different lowercase letters are significantly different from each other at p=0.05.

•Russet Varieties: Norkotah 296’s, 278’s, 8’s, Reveille Russet, Centennial Russet

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January 2021

Know Your Potato Diseases

Disease Identification Quiz Dr. Jeff Miller Dr. Jeff Miller, a plant pathologist, is the president and CEO of Miller Research, Rupert, Idaho. He can be contacted by phone: (208) 531-5124; cell: (208) 431-4420; jeff@millerresearch.com

B A You have encountered some Russet Norkotah tubers where the external skin is shrunken as shown in Photo A. When you cut the potato open, you see dark brown lesions as shown in Photo B. If you were to take a piece of the diseased tuber tissue and grow it in the lab, which type of fungal spore (C or D) would you expect to find? Can you name the disease and the pathogen causing the disease? For extra credit, after choosing C or D as the cause of disease, can you name the other pathogen and the disease it causes? Photo courtesy Kasia Duellman, University of Idaho

Answers Page 32

Know Your Insects Answers (from page 21)

1. Photos A, B and C are all common predators in potato fields. 2. Photo A is a small predatory ground beetle called Bembidion. Photo B is a predatory sucking bug called a bigeyed bug, or Geocoris. Photo C is the common convergent lady beetle Hippodamia convergens. Photo D is the only plant-feeding insect here, an immature Lygus bug.

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National Potato Council

2020’s Impact on Industry, NPC

By Kam Quarles, National Potato Council CEO

lthough 2020 is barely in the rearview mirror, looking back on it is almost like viewing two entirely separate worlds: one is pre-COVID, and the other is what we have been living with since the shutdowns began. Pre-COVID, the U.S. potato industry generally was having a strong year. For the National Potato Council (NPC), we had a new team in place and were extremely proud to follow the largest Potato Expo ever with a highly successful Potato D.C. FlyIn, outstanding 2020 Potato Industry Leadership Institute and strong kickoff for the new Potato Leadership, Education and Advancement Foundation (LEAF). As a new CEO, I was thrilled at the value our talented team was delivering for the industry. Then March happened. As the weeks wore on, a predictable cascade of events occurred that threatened the livelihoods of family farmers and industry partners across the country. Without foodservice customers, the inevitable backlogs and industry impact were staggering both for growers and also for our D.C. team as advocates for the industry.

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Pat

Over the course of my 20-plus-year career in Washington, I’ve dealt with many disaster relief programs, yet it was sobering to see the COVID numbers, which had a lot of extra zeros attached to them. To help people visualize the industry’s challenge, as we gathered the data to explain to USDA and Capitol Hill how big the backlog of potatoes would be, we determined that at its height, it could fill the U.S. Capitol Building 14 times over. In response, our industry rallied into action. NPC and the state potato organizations created a simple but effective plan to immediately provide relief. First, we had to push USDA to temporarily become our customer in the absence of the foodservice industry in order to clear out the growing backlog. Second, we needed to convince USDA to provide meaningful disaster relief to growers who were impacted in order to stabilize these family farms until the marketplace strengthened. All of this focused teamwork generated results. USDA responded by providing both the largest surplus commodity purchase program in our industry’s history and the largest direct payment disaster relief program for growers in our industry’s history. We believe these actions have kept us in the game as consumer demand regains its strength both domestically and internationally. Though we aren’t out of the woods yet, I think the challenges that COVID forced upon us and our industry’s response provide some optimism looking forward. In short, we aren’t helpless to this crisis and the clear steps we took put us on a path to relief. Unfortunately, COVID is continuing to impact our industry as NPC and our state partners make plans for 2021. After serious deliberation, the Potato LEAF board of directors decided to not conduct a Potato Industry Leadership Institute class for 2021 given the health and logistical challenges surrounding the pandemic. Additionally, due to D.C. government, congressional and federal agency restrictions regarding COVID-19, NPC’s executive committee moved the 2021 Potato D.C. Fly-In to a virtual event. The meeting will occur the week of Feb. 22-26 as originally scheduled and will now also include the NPC Annual Meeting, all in a virtual format. The decision to make these changes, as well as holding a virtual Potato Expo 2021, was painful economically for NPC and organizationally for the industry. Regardless, the decisions were clearly the right and responsible ones. This industry is resilient and will come out on the other side of this crisis even stronger than before. Although the impact of COVID continues to ripple across the country, we know these immediate challenges will not be the last crisis faced by the industry. Hopefully, the decisive actions we took over the past year followed by our cohesive disciplined pursuit of them can also be applied toward whatever comes at us in the future and with similar productive results.

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Potatoes USA

When Should You Eat Potatoes to Fuel Performance? Research Says Before, During and After Exercise!

By Jill Rittenberg, Senior Global Marketing Manager of Consumer and Nutrition, Potatoes USA

hen it comes to optimal physical performance, athletes are continually searching for advantages. While manufactured sports products are consumed by many athletes, new research shows promising results for one whole food option: potatoes. A series of recent studies funded by the Alliance for Potato Research and Education (APRE) shows that potatoes may be as effective as commercial sports products in fueling before, during and after exercise. The findings from these studies suggest athletes and active consumers should eat potatoes to perform at their best, further supporting potatoes in sports nutrition.

Before Exercise

A new randomized, crossover study compared 16 recreationally active men and women who ate potato-based foods and exercised multiple times in a single day. The study found that glycogen recovery rates and performance during a 20-kilometer timed stationary bike trial were comparable to commercial sports supplements and did not differ between genders. This study suggests that eating potatoes before exercise may support athletes’ performance and help them stay fueled. However, as the first study of its kind, larger and longer trials are needed to confirm the results.

During Exercise

Another randomized, crossover

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study of 12 endurance-trained cyclists found that, compared to a commercially available concentrated carbohydrate gel, eating russet potato purée during a single prolonged cycling event is as effective as carbohydrate gels for supporting exercise performance. This study indicates that potatoes eaten during activity may maintain athletes’ energy and enhance their performance. But further research is needed with larger sample sizes to demonstrate this effect in other populations.

After Exercise

A single-blind randomized parallelgroup study provided 24 healthy young women with either 25 grams of potato protein isolate, supplemented twice daily, as part of a high-protein diet at twice the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) or a control diet at the RDA for protein without potato protein isolate for two weeks. The results showed that in conjunction with high-repetition resistance exercise, potato protein isolate can augment rates of muscle protein synthesis (MPS) in healthy young women following training and at rest. This study suggests that potato-based meals may provide the carbohydrates athletes need to replenish their energy stores. However, more extensive and more prolonged trials are needed to determine the clinical implications fully. The findings from these studies suggest that potatoes can be useful to athletes and consumers of all types who are looking for more ways to fuel their performance and recovery. These findings position potatoes as a nutrient-dense, whole food option for active people and provide the potato industry with further nutritional benefits to promote. While these results indicate a positive benefit, findings are not conclusive and should not be generalized to different populations, including by sport or training level. Future research is needed.

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Biological Potato Program for the Control of Root & Soil Disease, Uniformity and Yield

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Enhancing the mobilization of nutrients such as calcium and trace elements.

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Know Your Disease Answers (from page 27)

The disease shown in Photos A and B is technically called black pit and is caused by Alternaria alternata and other Alternaria species which produce similar type spores. The spores are shown in Photo D. Spores of Alternaria solani, which is the cause of early blight, look different, but can cause similar symptoms on tubers. On leaves, the lesions can look different. Most of the fungicides that are used to manage early blight are effective against the fungi causing black pit. For the extra credit, the spores in Photo C are those of Fusarium sambucinum, the cause of Fusarium dry rot. Fusarium dry rot symptoms can appear similar to those of black pit in color, but develop differently in the tuber. Black pit lesions do not penetrate deep into the tuber but remain near the surface, while dry rot lesions will develop deep into the tuber.

Potato Country

January 2021

In the News

Ag World Golf Classic Raises $93K for Charity

After finalizing donations, Ag World Support Systems presented a check for $93,168 to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Inland Northwest. The money was raised through the support of 82 sponsors and donors and 133 golfers at the 7th Annual Ag World Golf Classic last summer. While one of the two tournaments scheduled had to be canceled due to COVID-19, organizers were able to host the second tournament. The Ag World Golf Classic is the largest independent fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald Charities of the Inland Northwest. Ag World has donated more than half a million dollars to the charity in the past seven years. The 8th Annual Ag World Golf Classic is slated for June 8 at Canyon Lakes Golf Course in Kennewick, Washington, and June 10 at The Links at Moses Pointe in Moses Lake, Washington. Register at www.agworldgolf.com.

US Sends Seed Potatoes to Cuba

Potatoes USA has sent the first shipment of U.S. seed potatoes to Cuba. The mixed load of 10 varieties will be utilized in trials conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture in Cuba. This trial process must be completed prior to commercial shipments of U.S. seed potatoes occurring. Concurrent to the trial shipment, USDA and the Ministry of Agriculture signed a market access protocol for U.S. seed potatoes to enter Cuba. Potatoes USA initiated efforts to establish a market for U.S. seed potatoes in Cuba six years ago with a visit by industry members and experts. Potatoes USA received approval to utilize USDA Market Access Program (MAP) funds in Cuba for the July 2020 – June 2021 marketing year.

IPC Hires Retail Promotion Director in Georgia

Mark Daniels, a produce veteran with 35 years of industry experience, has joined the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) as retail promotion director-southeast. Based in the Savannah, Georgia area, Daniels will provide category management, promotions and other marketing support tools to help category managers and buyers in the Southeast boost profitability in the rapidly evolving marketplace. Daniels brings an extensive background in retail, wholesale and sales, according to the IPC. He is also a longtime board member of the Southeast Produce Council.

US Potato Exports Begin to Recover

U.S. potato exports for the July – September quarter were down significantly compared to the same period in 2019. This drop is a result of the pandemic’s continuing impact on the demand in many markets, particularly in Southeast Asia and Central America, and the tight supplies of U.S. frozen potato products. Plus, exports for this period in 2019 were at record levels, so the bar was set high, according to Potatoes USA. Frozen exports were down 23 percent in volume but down only 14 percent in September, showing recoveries in some markets. Dehydrated exports were down only 2 percent for the quarter and 5 percent for September. According to Potatoes USA, this reduction is more reflective of tight U.S. supplies than decreased demand. Exports of fresh potatoes, including table-stock and chipping, were down 6 percent for the quarter but up 10 percent in September. PotatoCountry.com

Irrigation Essentials Disinfecting Services

www.disinfectingservices.net (208) 356-5332 Flo Pro, Power Flush

Flo Pro keeps low-flow irrigation lines clean and maximizes crop production. Flo Pro combines plugging-prevention chemistry with a patent-pending soil conditioner that improves absorption and targets root zones for water and nutrient retention and uptake. Flo Pro uses fifth-generation amines and phosphonate chemistries to provide a cost-effective product to remove and prevent plugging in low-volume irrigation systems. Used at low usage rates, it makes water unsuitable for biological hosts. According to the manufacturer, the product changes the nature of the soil in the root zone from hydrophobic to hydrophilic, allowing the soil to retain water and nutrients in the critical root zone for optimum plant uptake. Power Flush unplugs drip tape emitters and micro-jets quickly and safely, restoring drip system efficiency. With its high-oxidative power, Power Flush reacts quickly and powerfully, clearing out plugging materials. An exclusive blend of oxygen and peroxyacetic acid, Power Flush is more effective than hydrogen peroxide at significantly lower feed rates, and the liquid is safer and more convenient than fuming acids and toxic gases. There are no halogenated hydrocarbon byproducts with Power Flush as are typically seen with chlorine and chlorine gas treatments, and any residuals are readily biodegradable and friendly to the environment.

MANHATTAN Seed Potato Growers Family Operations Committed to the Highest Standards in the Industry  Isolation Ideal for Insect Control  All Seed Summer and Southern Tested for Virus  Excellent Quality Controlled by Rigid Rouging and Sanitation Practices  Many Varieties Available with Good Readings  Top Yields and Tuber Uniformity from Years of Line Selecting  2019 Late Blight-Free Potatoes Big Sky Seed Cole Ag Cole’s Corner Seed Farms Glenn, Tim & Vern Droge Dan Dyk Doug Dyk TRB Dykema Sid & Tim Kamps Kimm Seed Potatoes

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Jain Irrigation

www.jainsusa.com/monitoring-control Jain Logic

Jain Logic is a cost-effective and efficient way to measure actual, field-specific water consumption for potato and onion crops throughout the year on a regular basis. Using satellite and weather data, Jain Irrigation can compute the crop water consumption (ETc) for any field. This information is available on a dashboard or sent directly to a user’s inbox every seven days. Each weekly report will include table values and charts of the previous week’s crop water consumption and a thematically colored map showing the ETc uniformity for each field. Each field report will include an Excel spreadsheet that will show uniformity trends, water budgets and total water field usage. Jain Logic can help growers optimize water consumption and monitor the irrigation efficiencies on their farm.

Skone Irrigation

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Reinke has released a new application for its GPS guidance system. Skone Irrigation, a Reinke dealer in Pasco and Warden, Washington, is now able to install Reinke’s GPS guidance on any Valley corner machine. This is a very reliable system and is a great option for systems that are encountering issues with buried wire guidance. This system can replace a current pathway or allow a user to realign the pathway to accommodate a newer structure or circle design. A simple download from a zip drive program and even in-field realignment is possible with this system. With a new install of the guidance system, irrigators can fix longstanding areas of concern, and the system can be moved onto machines purchased in the future.

Steve Wilcox & Layne Walker 50+ Years of Combined Experience PotatoCountry.com

Market Report

Looking Forward to the 2021-22

t is not over yet. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to drive shifts in demand for potatoes and potato products. However, the end is in sight. The first vaccines should be in distribution by the time this is printed, though experts indicate that it could take until summer for enough people to be vaccinated to halt the spread of the disease. Nevertheless, it appears that economies in North America and around the globe should be reopened before the 2021 fall potato harvest is complete. That prospect provides a glimmer of hope for potato growers and handlers that have been adversely impacted by the pandemic. In this article, we review the impact that COVID-19 has had on various sectors of the potato industry, along with the implications of an end to the current measures designed to slow the spread of the disease.

Shifts in Demand

Processors reduced 2020 contract volumes, used force majeure to reduce 2019 contract volumes and extended the processing season for the 2019 crop to work through a surplus of potatoes resulting from the pandemic-related drop in demand for finished products. Many of the excess processing potatoes spilled into the table potato market, depressing prices for russet potatoes. The negative impact has been most pronounced for russet count cartons, of which a large share typically is

Potato Country

January 2021

sold through foodservice operations. Government regulations have limited the capacity of those operations, including periodic closures, which has limited demand for cartons, as well as for some dehydrated products. In contrast, retail demand for potatoes and potato products has increased during the pandemic. With more meals being prepared at home, consumers have increased usage of fresh potatoes as well as retail packages of frozen and dehydrated products. Potato chips have become the snackfood of choice for people working, studying, or watching sporting events and entertainment at home. Processing contract volume reductions may have overcompensated for the downturn in demand for frozen potato products. Domestic sales have rebounded more quickly than had been anticipated, thanks to drive-thru sales from QSR outlets and strong sales of retail products. However, fryers are being cautious with open market raw product purchases, due to concerns that a surge in new COVID-19 cases, both domestically and in Europe, could curtail sales again, as governments enact more restrictions on movement in an effort to slow the spread of the virus.

Global French Fry Trade

While judging the impact on domestic sales involves a great deal of guesswork, international trade data provide a clearer picture of the impact that COVID-19 has had on global demand for French fries. Major exporting countries experienced a 6.2 percent average annual growth rate for sales to countries outside of their local trading zones between 2003 and 2019. For the 12 months ending Aug. 31, 2020, those exports fell 443 million pounds short of year-earlier movement to 8.2 billion pounds. That is the first major downturn in global French fry trade that we have seen in data going back to 2003. The entire downturn came after March 1. For the six preceding months, global trade was running 10 percent ahead of

year-earlier sales. That shifted to a 19.6 percent decline, relative to the previous year, between March and August. French fry trade hit a trough in May, down 33.4 percent from year-earlier sales. Global trade has been slower to rebound than the domestic market. August trade (the last month for which we have a complete data set) remained 11.6 percent below the 2019 pace. The EUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s external exports have rebounded more quickly than North American offshore sales. North American French fry exports were still running 30.1 percent behind last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pace during August, while EU external exports were only down 4.6 percent. September data on North American exports show a 15.2 percent decline, relative to last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pace.

Economic Recovery

How will demand for potatoes and potato products shift for the 2021 potato crop? Once enough people have been vaccinated for the pandemic-related restrictions on socializing, travel, entertainment and work to be relaxed, demand should start migrating back toward pre-pandemic norms. However, an economic recovery will take time, and some behavioral changes (particularly regarding online purchasing) are likely to become permanent. The impact on demand for potatoes and potato products is likely to be mixed. The lack of dining-out opportunities has introduced a new generation of consumers to potatoes and potato products prepared at home. Retail sales of those products are likely to slow down once restrictions on restaurants are lifted, but we expect sales of fresh potatoes, as well as of frozen and dehydrated products designed for sale through retail outlets, to remain above pre-pandemic levels for the foreseeable future. A big question is how quickly the global French fry market will recover after the pandemic abates. We estimate that the industry lost between 0.6 billion and 1.3 billion pounds of sales outside the major French fry producing countries

Marketing Season between March and August. While those sales can never be replaced, it is possible that demand could rebound to the trajectory that was in place prior to the pandemic. If that were to happen, global exports of frozen product could increase to 9.5-9.8 billion pounds during the 12 months ending Aug. 31, 2022. That is 1.21.5 billion pounds more than the major French fry producers moved to external customers during the year just ended. That increase is in addition to the product needed internally, within North America and the EU, to supply the expected rebound in domestic demand.

Contract Implications

The expected rebound should support increased contract volumes for the 2021 potato crop. However, fryers have been reluctant to make firm contract volume commitments due to the uncertainty surrounding current demand, due to the pandemic. That creates a dilemma for potato growers. Supplies of good quality seed for the 2021 potato crop could be limited due to crop problems in certain growing areas. Waiting until the last minute to make commitments for seed could leave growers with limited alternatives. However, making commitments for the seed for processing varieties without a firm commitment for contract volumes is a risky proposition. Though the demand for French fries may increase substantially during the 2021-22 marketing season, fryers may decide to cede a large portion of the growth to their European competitors, in an effort to maintain strong profit margins on the remaining business. Other factors could limit contract volumes for individual growers even with an overall volume increase.

By Bruce Huffaker, Publisher North American Potato Market News

HUFFAKER'S HIGHLIGHTS • With pending vaccine approvals, an end to the COVID-19 pandemic is in sight.

• The pandemic has shifted demand between potato industry sectors, depressing sales of russet count cartons, as well as sales of frozen and dehydrated products through foodservice outlets. • Retail sales of table potatoes, potato chips, as well as frozen and dehydrated potato products have grown during the pandemic. • Global French fry trade may have dropped as much as 1.3 billion pounds below what it would have been absent the pandemic, during the year ending Aug. 31, 2020.

• As pandemic-related restrictions ease, demand for potatoes and potato products may migrate back toward pre-pandemic norms. • A sharp rebound in French fry demand from both domestic and export customers is likely to require substantial increases in 2021 processing contract volumes. • Processors are reluctant to make firm volume commitments for 2021 due to near-term uncertainty regarding demand. • Growers need firm volume commitments soon so that they can secure the seed supplies needed for their 2021 crops with confidence.

Editor’s note: To contact Mr. Huffaker, or to subscribe to North American Potato Market News (published 48 times per year), write or call: 2690 N. Rough Stone Way, Meridian, ID 83646; (208) 5258397; or e-mail napmn@napmn.com. PotatoCountry.com

Potato Growers of Washington

Navigating the Negotiation Process By Dale Lathim, Potato Growers of Washington

s we begin the negotiating process for the 2021 potato contracts, we are once again faced with the question of how to balance the processorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; desire for reduced costs with the reality of the cost of producing high quality potatoes. For more years than I can remember, we have been told at the bargaining table that growers must do more to reduce costs and become more efficient. All the while, the processors continue to raise the bar for the quality of potatoes they need to make the great frozen potato products that most of the world desires. Granted, years ago, there were many ways in which growers could reduce costs and become more efficient. When we had more than 500 growers producing processing potatoes in the Columbia Basin, the range of costs and efficiencies between operations was fairly wide. So, too, was the range of profit margins from the best to the least efficient growers. As time has passed and this constant need for improved efficiency and lower cost has been discussed, the grower

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community has consolidated to where today only the most efficient and productive growers remain active. This consolidation has occurred as a result of the less efficient, higher cost or less productive farms leaving the potato industry, and only the most efficient and productive farms have been able to survive. In fact, thin margins have consolidated the industry to where we have nearly 50 percent more acres of frozen processing potatoes being grown under contracts, but with less than 20 percent of the growers we had 30 years ago. This drive for more efficiency and lower costs has been a major factor in the profitability and the subsequent growth of the frozen potato products industry in the Columbia Basin. As I have mentioned several times in my column, the frozen potato products industry in the Basin is one of the most symbiotic relationships of any industry in the world. This is because both sides are really locked in to very few options to use their capital intensive investments for anything other than growing or processing potatoes. This has been a win-win for both the surviving growers and the processors. However, there is a point at which there are no longer any significant cost savings to be achieved. Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s technology only allows for so many current varieties to produce so much on each acre of land. Can growers make changes to produce some desired changes in the quality of potatoes produced such as a different size profile or fewer defects? Yes, they can, but they cannot achieve that without a recognized increase in the cost of producing those potatoes. At the Potato Growers of Washington Inc., our mission is to provide our customers (the frozen potato processors) the highest quality, most competitively priced pre-season contract potatoes in the world. We recognize that other growing regions in the world are catching up to us. However, on a consistent basis, our mission statement is as true today as it was in 1994 when we adopted it. But to maintain this, we need the help of the processing industry, as well. Processors have to recognize the progress that growers have made in becoming more efficient and the cost that it has taken for growers to do this while continuing to provide higher and higher quality each year. Processors and their growers have both made major investments in expanding the industry in the Basin. Now we have to work together to find new ways of restoring profitability to both sides of the industry other than simply adjusting the contract price. All of the low-hanging fruit has been harvested. Now we need to get serious about finding new ways to structure our contracts for the benefit of both sides. This is not going to be easy, but the economic shutdowns resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have accelerated the need for change. Neither side has the luxury of spending years fully studying the potential changes. We need to act on existing knowledge and get better contracts in place now.

The scientific explanation. Calcium is a required element for tuber development. A calcium deficiency in plants results in dividing cells being unable to stay bound together. This causes poor quality potatoes such as reduced size, growth cracks and hollow heart.

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