News Release

Potato Growers to decide future representation, organization's fate

BLACKFOOT, ID — All Idaho potato growers are strongly encouraged to attend a special meeting at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday at the West Coast Hotel in Pocatello to discuss how producers will be represented in the future.

Membership issues have caused the leadership of Potato Growers of Idaho to consider suspending activities. If that happens Idaho growers will have no unified representation on political and regulatory issues. Reports claiming PGI is being dissolved are not true, but the role is likely to change.

Contract growers continue with plans to organize their own bargaining association. However, many of them believe there is a need for a statewide organization to represent growers interests in many other areas. Some are saying that if PGI gives up bargaining and lowers the dues that they will remain members or join.

There is a feeling that PGI has been spread too thin on too many different activities. Wider support is likely to return if that role is refined. In the past contract growers have often believed that too much of PGI's resources were spent on issues outside bargaining. Some fresh growers have felt that PGI was predominately a bargaining association and when the major fresh shippers stopped bargaining contracts they no longer needed to be members. Still other open growers have not wanted to be part of an association doing bargaining believing that it was a conflict of interest.

If the PGI membership votes to drop bargaining and concentrate on issues affecting all growers and modifies its dues structure the organization should be more attractive to new members. Growers would still receive market and other information affecting the potato industry. PGI would continue to represent Idaho growers on all state and national issues. PGI has been active in lobbying, and in trade and regulatory matters. For evidence of those efforts, consider recent potato diversion programs, state tax relief, recent changes in the Idaho Potato Commission and many others.

Grower input is provided through PGI to the Idaho Potato Commission, the National Potato Promotion Board, and the National Potato Council, Idaho's congressional delegation, the Idaho State Legislature, the University of Idaho, various other state agencies and commodity organizations and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Potato PAC which donates funds to political candidates could also continue to be a part of PGI.

Many growers have expressed concern that adequate representation is critical in today’s political world. The Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) is an industry commission with representation from processors and shippers as well as growers. The IPC is also considered a governmental body and is not able to be involved in many lobbying activities. Growers need to express their views Wednesday. The only way to change the many problems facing the potato industry today is for a unified voice from Idaho's growers to emerge. Without PGI or something like it there will be no grower organization to represent all grower interests in the largest potato producing area of North America.