Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 14, 2004
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
Alt Contact:  Kate Sandboe, Washington State Department of Agriculture, 360-902-1815; Shannen Bornsen, Washington State Potato Commission, 509-765-8845

Gov. Gary Locke Praises Mexico’s Decision to Reinstate Suspended Washington Potato Shippers

Less than one month after returning from a trade mission to Mexico, Gov. Gary Locke today announced the Mexican government has agreed to reopen its markets to Washington’s fresh potato shippers.

Reinstating the suspended Washington shippers was one of the key priorities of Locke’s trade mission to Mexico last month. The governor’s meetings with top Mexican government officials during the mission are credited with helping solidify the deal.

Pest concerns had held up shipments from seven Washington state potato sheds since the market opened in April 2003. With those shippers reinstated, more Washington products will be allowed into Mexico.

“This is great news for our state’s potato shippers and growers, and it’s further proof that our trade missions pay off for our state,” Locke said. “The face-to-face meetings we have on our international trade missions open doors and create new opportunities for Washington farmers and businesses.”

Locke, along with Valoria Loveland, secretary of the Washington State Department of Agriculture, and Shannen Bornsen, director of international trade for the Washington State Potato Commission (WSPC), met with Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture, Javier Usabiaga Arroyo, as well as other top agriculture officials during last month’s trade mission. In addition to discussing the reinstatement of the suspended potato shippers, they also talked about broadening market access for Washington state chipping potatoes.

“I’m so pleased that we were able to get such quick results from our trip,” Loveland said. “Potatoes are the fourth largest crop in Washington and the Mexican market is an important part of that industry. I’m not sure we would have had this kind of immediate turn-around without the governor’s support and influence.”

Bornsen credited Locke and Loveland for their work in helping the WSPC secure the agreement. “This is perfect timing for our shippers,” she said. “We can start this
season with a clean slate, and if shippers are diligent about following the protocol, we can continue to develop a very promising market. The governor’s trade mission played a big role in helping us seal this deal.”

Bornsen also credited the continued work of APHIS (United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service) negotiators who worked with the U.S. potato industry to put new shipping protocols in place in October 2003. Since the new methods of inspection and certification were set, pest finds have been reduced to less than one percent.

Bornsen also recognized members of APHIS’ Mexican counterpart, SENASICA.
“All the officials we met with were very positive about keeping the border open and made it clear to us that they were working to keep trade flowing,” she said.

To further solidify the two-way trade relationship, members of the Mexican potato growers’ group, CONPAPA, plan to visit Washington potato farms again in September.

Locke’s 2002 trade mission to South Korea and 1999 trade mission to Mexico are credited with helping open those countries' markets to fresh Washington potatoes in 2003.

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Related links: www.governor.wa.gov; www.agr.wa.gov; www.potatoes.com

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