Progress made on overturning USDA limits to potatoes for school breakfast program

The House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee included a provision in its FY20 bill that prohibits the U.S. Department of Agriculture from excluding or limiting potato access to the school breakfast program. This provision seeks to resolve one of the last holdover issues from the Obama administration that unfairly impacted potatoes.

“We sincerely appreciate the bipartisan diligence of the House Agriculture Appropriations Committee on this issue,” said Britt Raybould, the National Potato Council’s Vice President of Legislative and Government Affairs. “Beyond the Chair and Ranking Member, we would also like to thank Reps. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) and Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) for their tireless efforts to ensure potatoes can be served at breakfast.”

Remaining USDA regulations had resulted in potatoes effectively being excluded from the school breakfast program.

The regulations specified that an unreachable goal for servings of other vegetables had to be reached before potatoes could be served. In response, this bipartisan provision blocks USDA from using such a limitation.

The subcommittee approved the bill without amendment May 23. It now will be considered by the full committee.

— National Potato Council