US: Tri-State varieties expanding abroad

Foreign countries are showing increasing interest in potato varieties developed in the Pacific Northwest and managed by the Potato Variety Management Institute. Officials say Tri-State Potato Research and Breeding Program varieties are beginning to find their way into farm fields throughout the world. A business in Quebec, Canada, has reached an agreement for the exclusive Canadian rights to the Tri-State fresh variety Pomerelle Russet, according to Jeanne Debons, executive director of the Potato Variety Management Institute, which markets the program’s spuds. Furthermore, a German company is evaluating seven Tri-State russets and expanding seed, interested in securing exclusive European rights. More