Along with other sectors of the national potato industry, Red River Valley grower-shippers will benefit from the U.S. Senate passing the $1.1 trillion Consolidated & Further Continuing Appropriations Act, which is part of the 2015 spending bill.
Ted Kreis, marketing director of the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association, credits the lobbying work of the National Potato Council staff in Washington for encouraging these Federal changes. Kreis particularly cited the work of John Keeling, the council’s executive vice president
“There are two provisions in the legislation that are totally unrelated, but both very important to the potato industry,” Kreis wrote. “One offers some temporary regulatory relief to the trucking industry, while another provision brings some common sense into the WIC program.”
The latter case means that fresh potatoes have been added to the WIC program for the first time. “Under current law, all fresh fruits and vegetables except white potatoes are eligible for purchase in the USDA's Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program," he said. "That is about to change.”
He also noted that “‘white potatoes’ refers to all fresh potatoes regardless of skin color. The term ‘white’ is used to differentiate potatoes from sweet potatoes.”
The new spending omnibus has a provision that would make fresh white potatoes eligible for purchase with WIC vouchers—available to low-income women and children at critical stages of development—just like all other fresh fruits and vegetables.
Kreis also said the Congressional roll-back of limited daily hours of driving for the nation’s truckers will be at least a “temporary fix” to ease a scarcity of truckers. Kreis and others in the Red River Valley indicate a driver shortage is causing significant damage to their businesses.
“A provision in the spending bill also calls for a detailed study of the effect of the regulations on truck crashes,” Kreis indicated in his release. “The measure will roll back the restrictive new rules governing hours of service until next October, when both sides are expected to resume their arguments.
“The truck shortage is a tremendous problem for the whole country,” Kreis told The Produce News.
Because of a shortage of truckers, Kreis said his members “have lost some business. We’ve got to find a way to get it moved. It’s a challenge, but it has eased up a bit since Thanksgiving. After deer hunting season” in the Red River Valley truckers return to the road and “it’s usually a little better. And it has been.”
Kreis said there is significant usage of rail service, but trucks remain the preferred mode of transportation.
Source: The Produce News