Colorado potato crop looks good, but demand could use boost

The Colorado potato crop looks excellent, but prices are stagnant, raising hopes that the Trump administration’s much-discussed renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement will make headway in opening greater access to the Mexican market. “It’s an opportunity to see our issues addressed,” said Jim Ehrlich, executive director of the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee, during a visit to his office in Monte Vista. “The Mexican market holds a lot of promise for us.” American potato consumption is 114 pounds per capita per year, while in Mexico that figure is only 25 pounds. The disparity is caused by a lack of supply, Ehrlich said. “They’ve kept their prices high to protect domestic producers, but we think there’s some middle ground there. We think if we could expand the supply of potatoes in Mexico, everybody would benefit,” he said. More