Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) announced that chipping potatoes from the state of Idaho could be exported to Japan for the first time since 2006.
This announcement occurred during a bilateral negotiation between USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF).
“The potato industry thanks APHIS for its decade-long effort to reopen the Japanese market to Idaho chipping potatoes. We also thank MAFF for working with APHIS in coming to this decision,” said John Keeling, Executive Vice President and CEO of the National Potato Council.
In February 2006, Idaho chipping potatoes became the first U.S. fresh potatoes exported to Japan in over sixty years. Several months later, Japan closed its market for Idaho potatoes due to the detection of potato cyst nematode (PCN) in the state. In the decade since the original PCN finding, Idaho and the federal government implemented an official control program to delineate, control, and eliminate the presence of the pest in the state.
Due to this week’s announcement, Idaho rejoins 15 other states with approval to export to Japan. Currently exports from these states are allowed to enter Japan between February 1 and July 30 of each year.
John Toaspern, Chief Marketing Officer at Potatoes USA stated that ”last year was a record year for US chipping potato shipments to Japan with $19 million in exports, making Japan the largest export market in Asia for U.S. chipping potatoes. We hope to see this continue to grow with the reinstatement of Idaho.” For additional information please contact John Keeling at the National Potato Council or John Toaspern at Potatoes USA.
