Potato Commission elects new leadership

Washington Ag Today July 16, 2010 At its recent annual meeting the Washington State Potato Commission elected Frank Martinez from Royal Slope as its new chairman.

Martinez: “It is a privilege. You know when you grow up as a migrant farm worker, really little education, you know it is really a privilege. I feel very blessed.”

That history of having been born in Mexico and come to the U.S. as a child and worked as a migrant laborer with his father across the U.S. helps Martinez see both sides of the fence.

Martinez: “I understand better what the situation is with migration, the importance of the farm bill and the importance of the immigration bill we need to do something about.”

And that heritage was certainly helpful when the U.S. went to work to open the Mexican market to fresh U.S. potatoes.

Martinez: “It was different because they saw me basically as one of their own. And it was a lot easier for me to go in and talk to them and get things started and at least get the ball rolling.”

The result was a partially opening of Mexico to fresh U.S. potatoes and now that’s he Potato Commission chairman Martinez says;

Martinez: “I would like to open the rest of the market into Mexico.”

And also get those tariffs from a trucking dispute removed.

That’s Washington Ag Today. Brought to you in part by the Washington State Potato Commission. Nutrition today. Good health tomorrow. I’m Bob Hoff for Northwest Aginfo Net.

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