Contents Section 1— NPC Year in Review, U.S. POTATO PRICING, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION Issues, and Resolutions U .S . Monthly and Season-Average Grower Price . .71 Message from the NPC President . 3 U .S . Monthly Retail Price . 72 NPC Year in Review . 5 Farm Marketings of All Potatoes . 73 NPC Resolutions . 14. Quantity of Potatoes Used for Processing . 73 Number of Chip and Shoestring Plants and Quantity Used . 74 Section 2—NPC Delegates, Marketing Year Average Price Received for Potatoes . 75 Board of Directors, and Committees U .S . per Capita Utilization of Potatoes . 76 NPC Executive Committee . 22 Potato Utilization . 77 NPC Board of Directors . 22 WORLD POTATO PRODUCTION NPC Past Presidents . 23 World Potato Production . 78 NPC Committees and Subcommittees . 25 U .S . Exports and Imports by Volume . 79 State Voting Delegates . 26 POTATO QUICK FACTS Section 3—NPC Members and Potato Nutrition . 80 Industry Contacts Potato Production, Consumption, and Exports . .81 State Potato Grower Organizations . 30 NPC Sustaining Members . 32 Advertising Index NPC Grower Supporters . 39 AMVAC . 45 Regulatory Contacts . 44 Bayer CropScience . .13 Seed Potato Certification Offices . 46 Colorado Potatoes . 37 National Potato Industry Organizations . 47 Farm Credit . 43 Idaho Potato Commission . 29 Section 4—United States Potato Board Maine Potato Board . 77 USPB Executive Committee . 49 McCain Foods . 47 Message from the USPB Chairman . 49 Minnesota Certified Seed . 75 USPB International Marketing . 50 North Carolina Potato Growers . 48 USPB Domestic Marketing . 54 North Dakota Certified Seed . 48 USPB Board Members . 60 Northern Plains Potato Growers Association . 40 Oregon Potato Commission . 74 Section 5—Potato Statistics Potato D .C . Fly-In . 4 U.S. POTATO PRODUCTION Potato Expo 2016 . .21 Simplot . 24 Potato Production, Seed Use, Farm Disposition, Price, and Value . 62 United States Potato Board . inside front cover Potato Acres Planted and Harvested by Seasonal Group . 63 Valley Irrigation . 69 Potato Yield and Production in Cwt by Seasonal Group . 64 Washington State Potato Commission . 38 Production, Seed Use, Farm Disposition, Price, and Value by State . 65 Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association . .61 Price per Cwt and Value of Production . 66 Wisconsin Seed Potato Improvement Association . 61. Percent of Fall Potato Acreage Planted by Type of Potato . 67 Potato Stocks Held by Growers, Local Dealers, and Processors . 67 Top 50 Registered Seed Potato Varieties Grown in Canada . 68 Fall Potato Acres Planted for Certified Seed . 69 Certified Seed Potato Acres Accepted - USA . 70 2015 Potato Statistical Yearbook · July 2015 1 Get Involved! Participate in the Potato D.C. Fly-In Each February, potato growers from across the country join ranks in the nation’s capital to fight for industry priorities. Make your voice heard and be part of the conversation at the Potato D.C. Fly-In. Join the Grassroots Army NPC issues “calls to action” to mobilize support on critical issues and the voice of each grower and member of the industry is critical. Take action and help make a difference! Be a Grower Supporter Grower Supporters contribute financially to the National Potato Council – above and beyond their state quota assessments – to help NPC further its legislative, environmental, regulatory, trade, and grassroots initiatives. Contribute to POPAC The Potato Political Action Committee (POPAC) provides growers the opportunity to support the political campaigns of friends of the potato industry who serve in Congress. PACs are a crucial component of doing business in Washington, DC. Having a strong POPAC shows legislators that the potato industry is serious about having a collective grassroots political voice. Be Part of the Conversation Follow NPC on: Like NPC on: National Potato Council 1300 L Street, NW, Suite 910 Washington, D .C . 20005 www.facebook.com/nationalpotatocouncil p: (202) 682-9456 f: (202) 682-0333 w: www .nationalpotatocouncil .org 2 National Potato Council Message from the President s the current NPC President, a long-time advocate for the industry and a third generation potato grower in Ronan, A Montana, I am eager to build upon the great strides we have taken in recent years and to leave NPC in an even stronger The National Potato Council position than when I took office. Thanks to the previous advocacy NPC leads the charge on behalf of U .S . initiatives of past NPC presidents and our other grower leaders, potato growers and industry members in our we’re sitting on a firm foundation that has been strengthened by nation’s capital . NPC protects potato growers’ last year’s accomplishment of getting fresh white potatoes back interests in Washington, D .C . by addressing issues that affect the potato industry, from into the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. Rome was policy issues debated in Congress to regulatory not built in a day and our issues are not often resolved easily or issues proposed by federal agencies . quickly. Getting potatoes included in the WIC program required eight years of hard work and the industry working together. We Grassroots Driven, should be proud of our united efforts as an industry in achieving the WIC victory. Member Led In the 114th Congress, NPC will continue to proactively pave the way for continued success • U .S . potato growers, representing diverse in areas of critical importance to the potato industry. Now that we have momentum from the growing regions, develop national policies recent WIC victory, it is important to amplify our voice even more on key issues that greatly and speak with a unified voice affect our industry including pollinator health, truck weight reform, voluntary GMO labeling, • NPC’s President, Executive Committee, and NIFA Potato Research Special Grant funding. Our representatives in Washington will and Board of Directors — made up of need to hear from us, our families and friends, and our neighbors on these and other issues potato grower volunteers — oversee the important to the health and well-being of the potato industry. implementation of NPC policy initiatives At this year’s Potato D.C. Fly-In, which is the most impactful meeting we hold all year in terms • Potato D .C . Fly-In allows attendees the opportunity to provide real-world ex- of advocating for our industry, more than 160 growers and industry leaders took the time amples of how decisions made in to travel to Washington, D.C. to share their unique stories with elected representatives and Washington, D .C . impact their ability federal agency officials. Most of the lawmakers in our nation’s capital are far removed from to farm life on the farm. Having growers come to Washington for face-to-face meetings and offering real-world examples of the impact of laws and regulations on our farms makes an undeni- Securing a Healthy Future able difference in achieving positive outcomes on decisions made by Congress and federal • Educating U .S . legislators and regulators agencies. Decisions that carry impactful results on our businesses are deserving of our time on crucial industry issues and energy. It is our responsibility to make the time to share our voices if we want to make a • Ensuring fair market access to foreign difference in policy outcomes. markets for potatoes and potato products Just like you, balancing my farm and family responsibilities and still finding time to com- • Promoting science-based mit to the potato industry is not always easy. I can assure you that helping our industry is phytosanitary policy extremely rewarding. Whether you are new to advocating on behalf of the potato industry or • Securing funding for potato breeding, you have been involved for years, I encourage you to get energized, get involved and help get pest management, and disease research our message out. The WIC victory is proof that when we work together we really can make a • Maintaining access to pest management difference. tools and advanced production technologies Wishing you a safe and prosperous year. • Fostering environmental stewardship • Supporting strong and effective state potato organizations • Developing the next generation of agricultural leaders Dan Lake 2015 NPC President, Owner and Partner of Lake Seed, Inc., Ronan, Mont. Supported by Growers and Industry • Donations from NPC Grower Supporters • Production-based contributions from state potato organizations • Corporate memberships and sponsorships 2015 Potato Statistical Yearbook · July 2015 3 NPC Year in Review Standing up for Potatoes on Capitol Hill RESOLUTIONS & ISSUES Key Issues in 2015 Potato Research Special Grant Each year, NPC works with Congress to secure about $1.35 million in funding for the Potato Research Special Grant that supports competitive potato breeding projects across the country. Because it is discretionary in nature, it must be renewed in each year’s agriculture appropriations bill. These funds supplement state, university and private industry funds. In addition to its competitive nature and Pollinator Health Reform nationwide scope, the Potato Research Special Grant program also The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Department encourages collaboration and eliminates redundant proposals. of Agriculture (USDA) and the White House are being urged to curtail the use of neonicotinoids in agriculture by groups claiming that they are primarily responsible for declining health in pollinators. Scientific evidence points to the fact that a number of stress factors may be impacting the health of pollinators and that the impact of pesticide use on bee health is being overstated. Increasingly, the facts point to decreased availability of high quality forage for pollinators and the presence of the Varroa mite in U.S. bee populations as the key stressors. The potato industry and pesticide registrants understand the importance of pollinators and are taking actions to address the factors that may be impacting pollinator health. NPC supports improved pollinator health and embraces a balanced approach based on science. NPC is developing partnerships with other stakeholders that will encourage and support planting high quality forage for bees and other pollinators.