FAQ's about Alaska Agricultural Export Program 1. "How much money has been spent on the program already?" Funding has been around $1.1 million. However this has been over the course of 10 years. 2. "Is it true that only 2 containers have been sent?" No, this is not true. That was the initial amount in 1996 - the first year that sales were possible. Before that a testing program had to be formulated and established. Permits had to be acquired. Contacts for Taiwan and China distribution had to be procured. Government contacts needed to be made. Testing had to be made for at least three years before scientific data could be relied upon. That's pretty standard in the scientific community. One year there was a crop failure statewide. One year the barge to Asia was turned back due to bad weather in the Aleutians. One year the importing government was unable to facilitate orders due to government changes. Still the testing program has to be funded and implemented each year. Failure to test for one year would set back the program for more than three. It takes three years to increase the potato crop sufficiently for yields great enough to export. Farmers have to have assurances that the State is committed enough to provide the infrastructure (in this case the testing program) for several years in advance. So far this has been a yearly fight. "Is it true $600,000 has already appropriated for this program?" No, Senator Stevens appropriated that amount money in 2001 for research only. None of it can be used in the testing program. By the way, it hasn’t even made its way to be useable in any University research budget yet! "Isn't there already a testing program for seed potatoes in Alaska?" The State is mandated to regulate and enforce National statutes regarding the production of seed. This is being performed by the PMC (Plant Materials Center Palmer) in the Division of Ag in DNR under the Governor’s Office now. The PMC provides virus free plantlets that seed farmers propagate to produce seed potatoes that within 2 to 4 years are sold to other farmers or in greenhouses for home gardeners. This testing program insures that National standards are met. However, countries that import our seed potatoes have standards and regulations that go beyond these requirements. The PMC is not presently funded or adequately staffed to handle such export demands. "Who is handling the export negotiations?" This is being handled by AADAM ( Alaska Agricultural Marketing and Development), a non-profit entity with board members recruited from the University, the farming community, and the business sector. One of its functions is to facilitate negotiations for developing contracts to grow and sell seed and tablestock potatoes and other ag products (carrots, cabbage, processed vegetables, etc). Another of its function is to educate the public and buying inspectors as to operations involved with this endeavor. AADAM receives visiting dignitaries and field inspectors. In addition, it organizes transportation, insurance, and inspections of containers exported. AADAM has facilitated in the procurement of machinery to aid farmers to remove soil from seed potatoes. Seed potatoes are required to be unwashed yet free from soil (and soil borne pathogens). "What other problems are associated with the program?" Lack of production to meet the demand. Due to lack of commitment for funding of the testing program, farmers involved have always been at risk. Few have been willing to risk a whole farm's production at the whim of the legislature. Several earlier obstacles have been addressed with success. Contracts are now prepaid with payments held in escrow. Orders in advance of one season are being established. New transportation schemes are developing. (Currently it cost more to send the containers to Seattle to make connections than it does to go from Seattle to Taiwan.) Lack of a central facility for storing potatoes for export. Some export markets need potatoes to be harvested as early as possible in order to arrive in late September. Potatoes need to be suberized (skins healed) and packaged according to the particular market. Shipping to Asia takes three weeks. Other markets require shipment a few months later in the winter. One storage requirement is that potatoes being exported cannot have the possibility to be contaminated by potatoes not in the field and lab inspection program. A lack of commitment from all sectors (private, government, transportation, etc) to cooperate to achieve the end goal of developing an ag export industry. In addition, there is a failure to act within this narrow window of opportunity afforded by political realities of the world. Current Alaska is the only state that can legally export seed potatoes to Taiwan and China. Alaska has demonstrated it can produce the highest quality seed potatoes due to its climate, lack of pest vectors, and stringent testing to insure quality control. Alaska already has its foot through the door whereas other regions are still pounding on the door.