Colorado Potatoes Approved for Taiwan

As of April 1, 2013, fresh potatoes from the state of Colorado are approved to be shipped to Taiwan.

The approval by Taiwan's Ministry of Agriculture was the result of years of work by the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee, the U.S. Potato Board, NPC, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), and Bryant Christie Inc., and was supported from funding by the industry's Sanitary and Phytosanitary Initiative.

The decision also follows a recent visit by Taiwanese officials to Colorado, which was supported by FAS Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) funds awarded to USPB.

At $8 million in 2012 sales, Taiwan is the fifth largest market for fresh U.S. potatoes. In 2012 the U.S. exported 17,678 metric tons (389,729 cwt) of table-stock and chip-stock to Taiwan.

Source: NPPGA News