b'People, Product NewsPandemic Relief And The Potato Eachsegmentofthislogjamholds necessarypurchasing.OncethoseIndustrynegative impacts for the network that recipientsareexhausted,USDAmakesupthepotatosupplychain. should consider simple product diver-AlthoughtheNationalPotato Seedgrowers,inputsuppliers,trans- sion, including livestock feed, storage,Councils office in Washington, D.C. portation providers, farm workers, etc. or outright destruction of product inhas been closed for four weeks due to are all caught up alongside their col- ordertorestoresomesupplyandthepandemic,theworkhasnever leagues as the days drag on. demand balance.stopped. The last two weeks have beensome of the most intense that I can SurplusCommodityPurchases/ Direct Payments for Reliefremember in two decades in this busi- Diversion Additionally,NPChasjoinedwithness.As the government had its role in the othermajorspecialtycroporganiza-shutdown, it also has a responsibility tionsacrossthecountryinpushingWhenthiscrisisbegan,thefederal in providing solutions. In effect (and USDA for direct payments to produc-and state governments effectively shut for good medical reason) the govern- ers for disaster relief. After numerousournationscommercedown. mentsaidyoucannothavecus- conference calls and individual discus-Nowhere was this mandate more pow- tomersforanindefiniteperiodof sions, we came to a simple mechanismerfullyfeltthaninthefoodservice time.Therefore,thefederalgovern- thatwethinkUSDAshouldputinsector.Almostovernight,hotels, ment needs to become that customer motion.Individualproducerscertifysportingevents,schoolsacrossthe for our industry.their economic injury from the pan-United States were shuttered. With 60 demic with their Farm Service Agencypercent of the potato industry serving Overthepasttwoweeks,yourstate office.TheFSACountyCommitteefoodservicecustomers,theimpact organizations,processors,andNPC wouldthenvalidatetheproducerswas immediate and staggering. have identified between $750 million- claim.Thepaymentcouldbeissued$1.3billioninpotatoesandpotato either before or after that validation,Suddenly,processedpotatoproducts productsthatarecloggedupinthe but the intent is to move relief rapidlydestined for food service had nowhere pipeline. We also agreed upon a plan to growers and other eligible entities.to be sent. As those supplies backed up and took it to USDA, urging them toand storage became scarce, it caused aggressivelypurchaseproductsin NPC,thestateorganizations,andpotato processing facilities to slow or ordertoprovideflexibilityand membersofCongresshavepushedhalttheiroperations.Withoutthose optionsnowandalsoforthe2020 USDAtoimplementbothoftheselines running at normal capacity, the crop.Urgentsubstantialactionnow necessary programs in tandem and topotatoesthattypicallymoveoutof can have meaningful impact for grow- datetheyhavebeenreceptive.Theystoragewerentrequired,causing ers,thoughitwontsolvethefull understand the challenges and vulner-those storage potatoes to be stretched scope of the problem. ability we face. As this week moves onforlongerthannormal.Thathas andmoredetailscomeoutastoresulted in growers being advised that The highest priority for these purchas- USDAsinitialreliefplans,wewillthe 2020 crop will not be required at es should be food banks, school meals, have a better idea how the short termthesizeindicatedjustacoupleof and related federal feeding programs. willlook.Itisnearlycertainthatmonths ago.Any needy recipient should be taken Congress and the Administration willcareofviathismassiveamountof have to take sustained additional steps28 POTATO GROWER MAY/JUNE 2020'