[env-trinity] Potato Glut

[Tom Stokely]

http://www.localnews8.com/home/1362151.html 
Joining the Coop Costs Potato Growers 

  Right now, spuds are selling $1.95 per hundredweight. That's about $3.25 below the cost of 
  production.
January 24, 2005 
In Idaho Falls, hundreds of spud farmers are meeting with United Fresh Potato Growers Cooperative to 
decide whether to become a member. 

The initial membership fee is pretty painful. United Fresh Potato Growers of Idaho are asking growers 
to dump a portion of their spud crop. 

Some will go for cattle feed, some for charitable organizations and some will just rot on the ground. 

It's a tough move, designed to get supply down and prices up. 

It's not easy. 

Bob Martin agreed to dump spuds and says, "When you go through all the sweat and effort of growing 
a crop and pull in to the dump, it makes you physically ill. We want to feed people, not dump a crop on 
the ground." 

But that is exactly what has to happen to get the prices back up to a profitable level. 

Right now, spuds are selling $1.95 per hundredweight. That's about $3.25 below the cost of 
production. 

David Beasely is on the board and says even potato growers in other states are joining in the effort. 

Beasely says, "Even as we speak, growers in Prince Edward Island are removing 1.5 million sacks from 
their supply. Growers in Maine are removing 4 million sacks, New Brunswick, too. Growers in 
Washington will remove some of theirs. Even though Klamath Basin doesn't have enough to finish out 
their season, they want to work and cooperate with us." 

Beasley says most of the excess spuds are in Idaho, so this state bears the burden of removing supplies. 

He hopes to have 400 million pounds of potatoes off the market. He says times have changed. 
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