Pennsylvania takes potato spotlight; tariff negotiations with Japan begin

Last week, the executive director of Pennsylvania Co-Operative Potato Growers emphasized the need for specialty crop funding during a roundtable discussion with USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and other congressional officials at a dairy farm in Myerstown, Pennsylvania.

Nathan Tallman, also a potato grower, joined Rollins, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson and other members of the Pennsylvania congressional delegation on April 14. Tallman stressed the need for specialty crop funding to be included in the fiscal year 2026 reconciliation discussions, should that package carry some elements of the farm bill.

Tallman also pointed out the fact that Pennsylvania has more potato chip manufacturers than any other state and stressed the opportunity to leverage tariff talks with Japan to complete the decades-long market access negotiations for U.S. fresh potatoes at the event, hosted by Rep. Dan Meuser.

Later in the week, Thompson visited Long Farms, the third-largest potato growing operation in the state which is located in Thompson’s district. Owner Carl Long also talked with Thompson about the importance of specialty crop funding.

“Given how difficult it is to pass any legislation in this chaotic Congress, the House and Senate leadership are looking at attaching pieces of the farm bill to the ‘reconciliation bill,’ which will involve the tax reform legislation as well as government spending reductions,” National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles said in a statement. “We appreciate Carl for taking the opportunity to communicate to Chairman Thompson that if the program crops are included in this reconciliation bill, they must be side-by-side with specialty crops.

“The fruit and vegetable industry has seen tremendous change since the 2018 Farm Bill was written and it desperately needs improvements. This reconciliation bill may be the only train leaving the station this year, so we need to be on it.”

Focus on Japan

Tariff negotiations between the U.S. and Japan began April 16 in Washington, D.C.

Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s chief tariff negotiator and representative at the meeting in Washington, flew to Washington to meet with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the two officials appointed to lead negotiations with Japan.

After being briefed on the talks, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told the Japan Times that gaps remained “between the respective stances of Japan and the U.S.,” and said exchange rates were not discussed.

The U.S. potato industry is urging the Trump administration to use the negotiations to gain concessions from Japan on U.S. fresh potato access.