>Members of the Washington State Potato Commission are forging ahead on the entry of Pacific Northwest potatoes into the Chinese fresh market.
Washington Governor Gary Locke, Pat Boss, executive director, along with growers Mike Pink, Pasco, and Roger Knutzen, Skagit Valley, traveled with Washington State Director of Agriculture Valoria Loveland.
The meeting yesterday in Beijing, allowed Gov. Locke to talk directly to Li Chang Jiang, director of Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.
Li Chang Jiang was urged to place higher priority on completing the Pest-Risk Assessment on Pacific Northwest potatoes by the next U.S.-China bi-lateral meeting so that work can begin on a market-access protocol.
The Minister indicated the agency would "speed things up" on completing the pest-risk assessment.