Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32J U L Y / A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 4 POTATO GROWER 4 POTATO GROWER Fresh and Seed Potato Imports from Canada Increase Significantly Statistical Source: World Potato Markets Analysis from Ted Kreis, NPPGA and John Toaspern, Potatoes USA A report recently compiled by World Potato Markets and distrib- uted by Potatoes USA (formerly the U.S. Potato Board), contained some statistics that impacted growers in our area. The report tallied United States potato imports and exports for the three quarters beginning July 1, 2015 and ending March 31, 2016; a period that coincides with most of the 2015 fall crop shipping season. Fresh growers in the Red River Valley were hurt by a 19 percent increase in fresh potato imports, all from Canada. Seed growers also saw increased competition from Canada with a 21 percent increase in Canadian seed entering the U.S. The weak Canadian dollar in com- parison to the U.S. dollar played a big part in the rush of Canadian potatoes into the U.S. There is no doubt heavier Canadian imports had a negative influence on fresh potato prices this past season including here in the Red River Valley. How much additional Canadian competition was there? Approximately 700,000 hundred- weight additional red potatoes com- pared to the previous year entered the U.S. in this nine month span, an amount roughly equivalent to more than 16% of the entire Red River Valley red crop. Canada has also been able to take advantage of market access issues facing the U.S. in Central America to increase exports to those coun- tries by 150 percent while the U.S. was down one percent. Exports of fresh potatoes from all major suppliers to the world were down 13 percent by volume and two percent in value. By compari- son U.S. exports were down one per- cent by volume and five percent in value. Total Fresh exports to the Potatoes USA target markets were up five percent with all U.S. potato exports up seven percent. U.S. fresh exports to Mexico contin- ued to grow, up 21 percent, though much of this growth was in chip- stock. Total fresh exports to Thailand were down 22 percent, with the U.S. off 44 percent. Total fresh exports to Korea were up nine percent but the U.S. was off 39 percent as Australia jumped up 144 percent making significant inroads into the market, particularly in the January through March period. Exports of both chip-stock and table-stock to the Philippines con- tinue to grow, up 30 percent in total with the U.S. up 43 percent and the European Union (EU) up 17 per- cent. In Japan, the U.S. has had an excel- lent year so far with chip-stock exports up 95 percent. Process growers had to be pleased with the four percent increase in frozen potato exports (by volume), but that news was tempered a bit by the 12 percent increase in frozen imports into the US. The Japan overall market was flat but frozen potatoes imported from the U.S. were up two percent which was a reversal of the losses of the last marketing year. Mexico was also flat both in total imports and those from the U.S. This was due to a weak economy there. China frozen imports were up 49 percent overall, however imports Potato exports to Asia often leave from the Port of Seattle shown in this photo. (Photo courtesy of Coast Guard ISC)