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 32M A R C H 2 0 1 7 8 POTATO GROWER Potato Growers Make Voices Heard In Nation’s Capital NPC hosted the 2017 Potato D.C. Fly-In from February 13-16, bring- ing together more than 150 U.S. potato growers and industry part- ners from across the country to advocate for the industry's most pressing federal policy priorities. Growers visited Capitol Hill and met with federal regulators at USDA and EPA. During their Hill visits, growers urged Congress to address key industry issues including: immi- gration reform, potato breeding research funding, regulatory reform, and international trade policy. Immigration Reform: The agricul- ture industry depends on a stable workforce, which must include a viable guest worker program and provide an opportunity to obtain a legal work status for the improperly- documented workforce. NPC advo- cates that those provisions become law and fully implemented before any mandatory enforcement pro- gram is required. Enforcement-only will harm American farmers and food production. Potato Research Special Grants: NPC has long worked with the appropri- ations committee in House and Senate to secure funding for Potato Research Special Grants that sup- port competitive potato breeding projects nationwide. NPC’s priority is to ensure the Senate amount, $2.25 million, is included in the final spending bill, which represents a small increase over $2 million passed in the House. Regulatory Reform: The regulatory burden on farms is a growing con- cern and a threat to the economy’s growth. Congress and the Administration should seek to restore balance in the regulatory process. A key component of the balance should be a consideration of the impact on the economic competitiveness of the potato industry from new or revised federal regulations. International Trade Policy: NPC strongly encourages Congress and the Administration to work together to negotiate and approve new bilat- eral or multilateral trade agreements to reduce tariff and non-tariff barri- ers and to strongly enforce existing trade agreements and commit- ments. Future trade policy should look to build on the success of pota- to exports. Before NPC took these messages to the Hill, attendees heard from NPC Mes sage by John Keeling, NPC Executive Vice President and CEO