Potato Business Summit back in person
The United Potato Growers of America (UPGA) is a somewhat different kind of national potato organization. UPGA deals directly with the business of producing potatoes. The organization does this by providing key market data to potato producers, enabling them to consistently secure a fair return on their immense investment.
In that role, UPGA understands that there are more aspects of the potato-production business that lead to on-farm profitability than most producers customarily access. That is why UPGA annually puts on the Potato Business Summit.
UPGA supports the potato-production business through a grower-direct feed of potato-market supply data produced by its large and constantly updating database. This market data enables aligned potato producers to prosper year after year, something that was previously a nearly impossible task. In addition to such direct market data, UPGA also keeps many indirect aspects of the potato-production business in front of potato producers.
The 2022 Potato Business Summit took place in Anaheim, California, on Jan. 5 (and online), leading into Potato Expo. It was a power-packed morning, as growers were brought abreast of economic aspects ancillary to potato production but critical to it. Growers learn about agricultural economic trends along with global commodity updates in other farm commodities. They are brought up to speed with fresh-potato market trends as well as advancements in frozen-process and dehydration markets, both foreign and domestic. Even the latest in field technology is not overlooked.
The event was sponsored by UPGA, the Potato Marketing Association of North America and United Potato Growers of Canada. Additional sponsors included Vive Crop Protection, AMVAC, John Deere and J.R. Simplot. More than 160 people attended in person and 140 watched online.
Speakers included Stephen Nicholson, Rabobank, who presented a global economic update; Cedric Porter, World Potato Markets, European potato market update; Liam Glennon, World Potato Congress Organizing Committee, WPC Ireland 2022 update; John Toaspern, Potatoes USA, retail and frozen potato market overview; Adrian Saenz, John Deere, farming technology outlook; and Mark Klompien, United Potato Growers of America, concluded the Summit with a fresh-potato market outlook.
Videos of the presentations are available at PotatoBusinessSummit.com. UPGA thanks all of its presenters and sponsors, and would also like to thank all attendees and viewers and hopes to see them again at next year’s Summit again to be held in conjunction with Potato Expo on Jan. 4, 2023 in Aurora, Colorado.
— United Potato Growers of America
Top — Stephen Nicholson of Rabobank leads a session at the United Potato Growers of America Potato Business Summit held Jan. 5, 2022 in Anaheim. Photo: Zeke Jennings
