N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 POTATO GROWER 29 People, Product News grow up to 2 feet long. Anyone who sees a plant that may be Palmer amaranth should contact a local NDSU Extension agent as soon as possi- ble. Visit https://www.ag.ndsu.edu /extension/directory for contact infor- mation. Palmer amaranth poses a serious threat to North Dakota crops because it can grow 2 to 3 inches per day in optimum conditions and reach a height of 6 to 8 feet. A single plant can produce up to 1 million seeds. Especially heavy infesta- tions have reduced yield up to 79 per- cent in soybeans and 91 percent in corn in other states. Unlike other annual weeds that need to be controlled only through early summer, Palmer ama- ranth emerges throughout the growing season. Palmer amaranth also is a huge chal- lenge to growers because it is prone to herbicide resistance. The weed originated in the desert region of the southwestern U.S. (New Mexico and Arizona) and northern Mexico, then spread to the Mississippi Delta before invading other states, including Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota. National Reaction To The New US-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement Canada was able to come to agreement on a revised North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) after certain con- cessions on dairy and other issues were finalized. The revised agreement, dubbed the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) by the Administration, is likely to be consid- ered by Congress at some point in the Spring. "Our first priority was to ensure that the benefits of the original NAFTA were not lost. We are very pleased that the Administration chose to mend it rather than end it," said John Keeling, NPC CEO. In all, over $575 million in U.S. potato exports are sent to Canada and Mexico each year. The 0% tariffs on frozen fries heading to Mexico immediately jumped to 20% as a result of retaliation for the steel and aluminum tariffs that the U.S. imposed earlier this year. Unfortunately, those tariffs are unaffect- ed by the new agreement and currently remain in place. The new agreement contains provisions that were originally agreed to under the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) that seek to limit countries' ability to use unjustified pest and disease issues as trade barriers. "This 'SPS+' provision may be one of the most beneficial and long-lasting reforms for our industry and specialty crops in general," said Kam Quarles, V.P. of Public Policy for NPC. "Pest and disease issues are barri- ers that can shut down export markets for years if not decades." Foreign Markets Expanding for U.S. Seed Potatoes Opportunities for U.S. seed growers to reach international buyers are expand- ing with foreign market introductions that connect grower-sellers with inter- ested foreign grower-buyers in target markets: Guatemala, Morocco and Myanmar (also known as Burma). The U.S. industry sponsored field trials help to induce commercial interest in U.S. certified seed and compare U.S. varieties to common local ones. In the coming year, plans are underway for a U.S. grower market visit to Guatemala in early 2019 with a focus on introducing U.S. varieties from states that were recently granted fresh potato access. Commercial interest is growing in Guatemala and additional sales are expected. In Morocco, several U.S. seed varieties are entering the official government registration track in 2019, a required course before commercialization. In recent months. In Myanmar, the variety registration process was simplified for seed potatoes, paving the way for U.S. varieties to be included on their official registry to allow commercial trade to commence. Grower-buyers from each of these mar- kets will visit the United States over the summer of 2019 to learn about the U.S. industry and tour seed growing areas. If you would like more information about the Potatoes USA seed program target market opportunities, please reply to this message or contact Amy Burdett, [email protected].