A bipartisan and bicameral group of lawmakers want U.S. fresh potato market access in Japan.
Head of the National Potato Council Kam Quarles tells Brownfield the Japanese market represents tremendous growth for growers.
“You’re talking about $150 million to $200 million a year market in additional US fresh potato exports,” he says.
Quarles says Japan is currently supplied mostly by domestic producers with limited U.S. supplies for chipping.
“Sometimes you’ll have potato chip prices spike $10-15 dollars a bag, and it’s simply because of shortages because they don’t have the production in the country,” he shares.
