- USDA Under Secretary Alexis Taylor to Address NPC Washington Summit
- EPA Announces New Deadline For Finalizing Their ESA Herbicide Strategy
- USDA Releases 2033 Agricultural Projections
- NPC Washington Summit: Nominating Committee Report and Flow
- New Podcast: A Discussion with NPC Grower-leaders RJ Andrus and Bob Mattive
- NPC Launches 2024 Grower Supporter Campaign
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USDA Under Secretary Alexis Taylor to Address NPC Washington Summit
On Wed., Feb. 28, potato growers and industry partners will welcome Alexis Taylor, USDA’s Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, to the NPC Washington Summit to discuss the administration’s efforts to promote U.S. agricultural exports.
“With one out of every five rows of U.S. potatoes destined to be exported, the expansion and maturation of foreign markets remains a top priority of NPC and the entire U.S. potato industry,” said Ted Tschirky, NPC Vice President of Trade Affairs and potato grower from Washington, who noted that 90 percent of his state's potatoes are grown for export. “We look forward to meeting with Under Secretary Taylor to discuss how expanded market opportunities are good for the potato industry, good for the U.S. economy, and good for job growth throughout the entire potato value chain.”
Among numerous trade missions, Under Secretary Taylor recently met with her counterparts in Japan to discuss expanded ag market opportunities, including the U.S. potato industry’s priority of gaining market access for U.S. fresh potatoes. Returning from her June 2023 trade mission, Under Secretary Taylor reported on “positive discussions” on the 30-plus year effort to gain Japanese market access for U.S. fresh potatoes and was “very optimistic” that continued progress can be made on this issue.
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EPA Announces New Deadline For Finalizing Their ESA Herbicide Strategy
Yesterday, EPA announced they have reached a revised settlement associated with the “Megasuit” to extend the deadline to finalize the ESA Herbicide Strategy from May 30 to Aug. 30, 2024.
EPA requested the extension to allow the Agency more time to consider public comments on the draft Herbicide Strategy and the input the Agency continues to receive about implementing ESA mitigation measures, particularly on ensuring that measures are practical and effective.
In October, NPC provided substantive comments related to the draft Herbicide Strategy, including its potential impact on applications of key herbicides used in potato production. The analysis predicted that more than 80 percent of the applications would fail to achieve the necessary points to comply with the strategy.
In light of the extension, EPA will release an update in the coming months about the status of its work on the Herbicide Strategy.
EPA has indicated it is still on track to release its draft Insecticide Strategy no later than the settlement deadline of July 30, 2024.
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USDA Releases 2033 Agricultural Projections
U.S. production of vegetable and pulse crops is projected to grow four percent between 2022 and 2033, said USDA in its long-term outlook report released this week. According to its projections, potatoes will account for 35 percent of all vegetable production and 20 percent of vegetable farm gate value by 2033, each up one percent from 2022.
The full report is available here.
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NPC Washington Summit: Nominating Committee Report and Flow
A combined meeting of the former NPC Annual Meeting and Potato DC Fly-in, the NPC Washington Summit provides a forum for potato industry members to discuss, define, and advocate for the policy priorities impacting their businesses and protecting their ability to farm.
At the Summit, new leadership will be elected and the NEWLY appointed Board of Directors and Committee Members will be the individuals seated for the committee meetings. This structure allows for a more engaged meeting, as newly seated Board Members will participate immediately.
The previous year’s Board Members who are not remaining on the Board are still encouraged to attend the Washington Summit, where they can serve as Voting Delegates and participate in legislative activities throughout the week.
The NPC business meeting portion of the 2024 NPC Washington Summit will look as follows:
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2024 Officer Elections
During the Annual Meeting of the Voting Delegates, on Mon., Feb. 26 from 6:30-7:15 pm ET, the Nominating Committee will present the following slate of officers. Nominations will also be accepted from the floor.
Bob Mattive - President
Ted Tschirky - First Vice President and Vice President, Trade Affairs
Dean Gibson - Legislative Affairs
Ben Sklarczyk - Environmental Affairs
TJ Hall - Finance
Chris Olsen - Grower Outreach and Industry Relations
RJ Andrus – Immediate Past President
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New Podcast: A Discussion with NPC Grower-leaders RJ Andrus and Bob Mattive
During Potato Expo 2024, National Potato Council 2023 President RJ Andrus and First Vice President Bob Mattive sat down with the Eye on Potatoes Podcast to reflect on their time on the Executive Committee and preview some of the top policy priorities for the upcoming NPC Washington Summit, Feb. 26 - March 1, 2024.
RJ Andrus of Idaho Falls, Idaho, is a third-generation farmer and an owner of TBR Farms located in Hamer, Idaho. He has served on the Executive Committee since 2019, in roles including Vice President of Grower Outreach and Industry Research, and Vice President of Legislative Affairs.
In addition to serving on the National Potato Council as First Vice President and Vice President of Environmental Affairs, Bob Mattive serves on several Colorado agricultural committees and boards. The 2,000-acre Worley Family Farms is run by Bob, his wife Gail (Worley), along with their sons Grant and Reid and nephew Matthew Smartt.
Subscribe and set to auto download on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or search for “eye on potatoes” wherever you listen to podcasts.
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NPC Launches 2024 Grower Supporter Campaign
NPC’s annual Grower Supporter campaign provides resources to leverage the potato industry’s collective economic strength to advance our public policy agenda in Washington, D.C., and beyond.
The contributions of our 2023 Grower Supporters were critical. Last February, NPC released a report authored by Michigan State University economists that analyzed the national economic contribution of the U.S. potato industry to the United States. The report found that the U.S. potato sector is a driving force of America’s economic prosperity, delivering an estimated contribution of $100.9 billion in 2021 alone, and supporting more than 714,000 domestic jobs. We can now show policymakers that potatoes are an incredibly important crop that supports the economy of America’s rural communities and the country. America truly is a Spud Nation!
We have a lot of work ahead of us. With a Congress and Administration focused on issues that could impact the ability of potato growers to farm, NPC’s advocacy efforts are more important than ever. In 2024, NPC is focused on top potato industry priorities, such as:
- Ensuring potatoes retain their rightful place in federal nutrition programs
- Opposing tax increases on the potato industry
- Pushing back against overreaching regulations on the agriculture industry, like WOTUS and the SEC Climate Rule
- Investing in potato science and research
- Advocating for transportation reforms and infrastructure investments that make it easier to get potatoes to market, both domestically and internationally
- Supporting ag labor reform provisions that ensure a sustainable workforce
- Building on the success of the Japan FTA with new market access
- Promoting U.S. potato industry’s rightful share of the 2024 Farm Bill
- Ensuring that foreign pests and diseases are not introduced into the U.S. and harm our growers’ ability to produce and market their crop
- Promoting additional free trade and market access agreements
To be successful in 2024, we need the support of our growers. Click here to register your support for NPC and to help amplify the potato industry’s voice in Washington, D.C.
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