Twenty-seven of the nation’s leading food and agriculture associations have raised the alarm over what they claim is a rapidly deteriorating trade relationship with Mexico when it comes to food and ag product exports.

EAGLE — Frank Muir waged war in defense of starchy vegetables — Idaho’s famous potatoes in particular — when carbohydrates were under assault by the trendy Atkins diet.

Grant funding from the Idaho Department of Commerce could potentially help the Idaho potato industry implement new technology enabling snack makers to fry potato chips at a lower temperature and with less oil.

HEYBURN — A locally based manufacturer of heavy equipment used in potato farming has been acquired by Idaho-based investors, thereby providing capital to facilitate future growth, company officials said.

By BILL SCHAEFER

TWIN FALLS — The Idaho potato industry ended up doing well in 2020, despite the pandemic.

WASHINGTON — At the National Potato Council Annual Meeting held virtually on Feb. 22, Dominic LaJoie of Van Buren, Maine, was elected to serve as NPC’s 2021 President and to head the grower-led organization’s Executive Committee.

MOSCOW — A $2 million gift to University of Idaho’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences will be a big benefit to the state’s farming and ranching community, UI officials say.

BLACKFOOT — More potatoes are produced in Bingham County than any other county in Idaho and the United States and when it comes to spuds, Bingham is the center of the potato universe.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Mexican Supreme Court released a draft ruling Feb. 17 that would overturn a 2017 lower court decision preventing the Mexican federal government from implementing regulations to allow for the importation of fresh U.S. potatoes throughout the country.

Two new potato varieties with ties to the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service in Aberdeen are poised to be released soon by the Tri-State Potato Research and Breeding Program.

The potato breeder with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service in Aberdeen is using genetics from a wild spud relative to develop crosses that won’t turn green when exposed to light.

With the click of a mouse, U.S. potato growers will participate this month in a lobbying trip that usually requires them to board a plane and put in nearly a week of long days in Washington, D.C.

BOISE — In the end, 2020 was a pretty good year for Idaho’s iconic potato industry, but it sure wasn’t easy.

BOISE (AP) — U.S. officials have released a new plan involving methods to deal with a microscopic pest in southeastern Idaho that threatens the state’s billion-dollar industry that supplies a third of the nation’s potatoes.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A $900 billion pandemic relief package that Congress approved on Monday night contains several provisions that should significantly help the nation’s farmers, according to leaders with the National Potato Council.

Based on an analysis of the potatoes and potato products sold at retail and foodservice, and accounting for the volume of U.S. exports and imports, there was a 5% decline in the utilization of potatoes grown in the U.S. during the July 2019 – June 2020 marketing year (MY20).

WASHINGTON — National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles issued the following statement congratulating Tom Vilsack on his nomination by President-elect Biden to return to his role as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture:

Three things have shaped Abby Rowe into the person she is today — potatoes, gymnastics and Spanish.

POCATELLO — Idaho’s iconic potato industry suffered through a major scare due to the restrictions and shutdowns imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

SUGAR CITY — A large fresh potato packing facility was destroyed by fire Monday night, according to the Madison Fire Department.

When we all said goodbye to each other at the end of the 2020 NPC Annual Meeting in January, we could never have predicted how the year would play out. While our industry has struggled to pull through during these unprecedented times, we can all be proud of the leaders elected at the Annual …

IDAHO FALLS — For half a century, Joyce Thiel has made every day of potato harvest like a holiday for her workers.

POCATELLO — Interest in the Idaho State Department of Agriculture’s annual specialty crop program was up considerably this year compared with last year.

AMMON — Residents hand-picked 1,480 pounds of red, gold, purple and brown potatoes from dark, rich soil dug by an antique machine here recently.

POCATELLO — The University of Idaho and the Idaho Potato Commission are working out logistics of moving a couple of major events for potato farmers in southeast Idaho to a remote format, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Idaho’s potato industry is applauding a letter issued by the state’s two U.S. senators calling for increased access for U.S. fresh potato exports into Mexico.

Shelley farmer Bart Wattenbarger was banking on a strong market to help him recover from a widespread early season freeze last fall that destroyed about 30% of his potato crop.

Idahoan Foods donated 10,000 masks to the Idaho Falls community on Thursday.

EAGLE — The Idaho Potato Commission has temporarily suspended its Big Idaho Potato Truck’s cross-country tour due to the COVID-19 crisis.

With the nation continuing to reel from the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Potato Council’s annual summer meeting was held using Zoom teleconferencing and Facebook on June 25.

TWIN FALLS — A Lamb Weston employee died in an industrial accident at the company’s Twin Falls facility Wednesday morning.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused U.S. potato prices to drop by about 21% from Jan. 15 through April 15, according to the industry’s surveys of potato growers and processors in major potato production areas.

Idaho’s famous potatoes have fed the world for generations, but now, through the efforts of a Twin Falls entrepreneur, they are being used to produce skin care products and at the same time helping restore human dignity to displaced people around the world.