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8 CapitalPress.com July 7, 2017 Idaho Subscribe to our weekly Idaho email newsletter at CapitalPress.com/newsletters Lamb Weston launches ‘Idaho Grown’ frozen potato line By JOHN O’CONNELL Capital Press EAGLE, Idaho — A major manu- facturer of frozen potato products has launched a product line made exclu- sively with spuds grown in Idaho. Lamb Weston’s new Grown in Idaho brand of frozen potato products will include seven potato varieties — crispy potato puffs, super crispy crinkle-cut fries, hand-cut style fries, thick-cut hash browns, super crispy steak-cut fries, crispy hash brown dic- es and super crispy shoestring fries. The Grown in Idaho label is trade- marked by the Idaho Potato Commis- sion but offered to any food manufac- turer willing to source and promote only Idaho potatoes for a product line. IPC President and CEO Frank Muir said he pitched the concept several years ago to all of the frozen processors and has been working ever since to get one of them to adopt it. “This is a pretty signifi cant mes- sage to our growers about the impor- tance Lamb Weston has in regards to the Idaho brand,” Muir said. “They have done their research, and clearly there’s a strong message that Lamb Weston is committed to Idaho potato farmers and the Idaho brand.” Matt Cardon, senior brand manag- er with Lamb Weston, said the Winco supermarket carries the product lo- cally, and it’s also available through other retailers nationwide, including Jewel in the Chicago area. Cardon said Grown in Idaho has been one of the most successful launches in the company’s history, garnering “tremendous” acceptance from retailers. “We anticipate distribution to grow for the next six months such that most, if not all, major retailers will be carrying the new line by the end of October,” Cardon said. Lamb Weston will manufacture the product at its Twin Falls plant us- ing existing production capacity, ac- cording to the IPC. “Future line extensions and new products are part of our growth plan,” Cardon said. Cardon believes using the Idaho brand provides transparency about the source of the ingredients and lends the products a premium reputation. Courtesy Idaho Potato Commission Lamb Weston has launched a Grown in Idaho brand of frozen potato products in partnership with the Idaho Potato Commission. SIPCO hires new executive director Cattlemen get update on traceability program By JOHN O’CONNELL Capital Press CALDWELL, Ida- ho — The Southern Idaho Potato Cooperative’s new executive director, Chuck Stadick, is a veteran at ne- gotiating frozen potato con- tracts. However, he previous- ly sat opposite growers at the table, working as raw product procurement direc- tor with a major processor, J.R. Simplot Co., until his retirement in 2009. Now that he’s serving Idaho farmers who raise spuds for processing, Sta- dick said he’s emphasizing improved communication with organizations repre- senting Washington and Oregon growers in negoti- ations. He’s also started a dialogue with past contacts from fast food restaurant chains, hoping the restau- rant industry and his grow- ers will develop a better un- derstanding of each other and their needs. SIPCO’s previous ex- ecutive director, Dan Har- graves, of Pocatello, in- tends to remain with the organization, crunching numbers that will help Sta- dick in his negotiations. Stadick joined SIPCO in time to aid Hargraves in negotiations with Lamb Weston and McCain Fro- zen Foods. A chief concern for Sta- dick is the roughly 7 per- cent drop in processed con- tract prices paid to growers during the past few years. This season’s contract con- tinued the decline, cutting grower payments by 2.5 to 3 percent, depending on the contract and the variety. China, where U.S. beef had been banned since 2003. Be- fore the ban, the U.S. supplied JACKPOT, Nev. — Beef 70 percent of China’s beef im- producers during a recent ports. Since that time, China meeting got an overview has emerged as a major beef of USDA’s animal disease buyer, importing $2.5 billion traceability program and the worth of beef in 2016, he said. impact renewed trade with “There is huge opportu- China will have. nity in China — huge — but Idaho State Veterinarian there are a lot of hoops to Bill Barton told Idaho Cat- jump through,” he said. The export verifi cation tle Association members the program requires that all beef program is based on pro- cattle 18 months and older gram compliant tags (PCT) possess offi cial individual that have to be applied under identifi cation and be accom- USDA’s offi cial program. panied by a certifi cate of PCT is a one-time, tamper ev- veterinary inspection when ident tag. The certifying com- pany must control their use. crossing state lines. If the tag is lost, secondary Agreements between Ida- ho and surrounding states identifi cation must be cross allow the use of common referenced for a new tag. That would include brands as identifi ca- ranch specifi c tags, but tion. The certifi cate of brands will not qualify veterinary inspection, as they’re considered however, must note group ID, he said. that the animals have “Exceptions may individual identifi ca- be granted, but I tion although it doesn’t have to list them indi- Bill Barton wouldn’t rely on that,” he said. vidually, Barton said. All records of the animals All dairy cattle regardless of age have to possess iden- processed for export to China tifi cation, and those must be must be retained for one year listed individually in the cer- beyond the date of export. tifi cate of veterinary inspec- That means cow-calf produc- ers have to keep records for tion. In recent listening session three years after the birth of to determine how the program the calf. Cattle have to be ac- is going, USDA made it clear companied by documentation it currently has no intention when they are shipped to an of requiring identifi cation for approved slaughter plant, he beef cattle under the age of 18 said. Eligible beef products months, he said. “That will probably occur must be derived from cattle sometime in the future, how- less than 30 months of age. Eligible cattle must be free ever,” he said. A recent producer survey of growth promotants and on traceability by a trade pub- can either be born, raised and lication shows “the industry is slaughtered in the U.S. or buying into the need to have imported from Canada and individual animal ID,” he Mexico for slaughter in the U.S. said. Barton said there could be As state veterinarian, he’s glad to see that. Without in- potential problems regarding dividual identifi cation, the cattle from Canada and Mex- traceability process is much ico if tags are lost and poten- more diffi cult when an inci- tial problems if U.S. beef is commingled with beef from dent occurs, he said. Traceability is a big issue other sources once it arrives in renewed beef trade with in China. By CAROL RYAN DUMAS Capital Press Courtesy Valli-Hi Angus Ranch Hi-Gest 660 alfalfa, developed to have low levels of lignin, is harvested at Valli-Hi Angus Ranch in Caldwell, Idaho. Experts see promise in expanding production of low-lignin alfalfa By JOHN O’CONNELL Capital Press CALDWELL, Idaho — Bill Jenkins had to delay his fi rst alfalfa cutting by nearly two weeks this season due to rain, and consequently, much of his crop didn’t make dairy grade. However, the Caldwell farmer and rancher said the 115 acres of hay he’d planted in Hi-Gest 660 — a new variety bred by Alforex Seeds to have lower levels of an indigestible fi ber called lignin — tested well above minimum dairy quality standards despite the late har- vest. Forage industry experts pre- dict new low-lignin varieties will be the next big craze in the industry, boosting hay quality and providing growers with a wider window to harvest and still make dairy grade. Lignin, a component of cell walls that lends rigidity to plants but lim- its digestibility of fi ber, com- prises about 7 percent of alfalfa. Alfalfa is nearly a quarter fi ber, so gains in fi ber digestibility can have a major impact on nu- trition. Alforex, a division of Dow Agrisciences, has released several conventionally bred Hi-Gest varieties since 2014 — claiming they reduce lignin by 7 to 10 percent — and re- cently received its fi rst variety patent for Hi-Gest 660 about a month ago. The other player in the low-lignin market, For- age Genetics International, has released HarvXtra, a variety developed with biotechnology with resistance to glyphosate herbicide and 12 to 20 percent less lignin. Jenkins, with Valli-Hi An- gus Ranch, said the Hi-Gest seed costs about $3 extra per pound, but it saves him roughly $55 per ton when the reduced lignin means the difference be- tween feeder and dairy grade. Last year, four out of his fi ve Hi-Gest cuttings were dairy quality. “I’ve been impressed with it,” Jenkins said. Don Miller, director of product development with Al- forex, said his product’s lignin reduction equates to roughly 2 pounds of extra milk per ton of forage. “For years we looked at im- proving disease resistance and yields, and now we’re trying to improve alfalfa for forage qual- ity,” Miller said. “I think here in the next few years you’ll see more and more low-lignin vari- eties.” FGI has a pending lawsuit against Alforex in U.S. Dis- trict Court, alleging marketing claims about its low-lignin lines are exaggerated and that they’re “only comparable to other con- ventional alfalfa varieties al- ready on the market.” Miller said 10,000 acres of Hi-Gest alfalfa were planted in the year following its release. Neither Alforex nor FGI had acreage estimates for 2017 but both companies say sales are up sharply. HarvXtra, developed over the course of 15 years, was re- leased for limited commercial availability in 2016 and was made available throughout the U.S. in January. “Farmers can maintain a normal harvest schedule and achieve higher forage quality than conventional varieties, or they can delay harvest for seven to 10 days for higher yield po- tential without sacrifi cing quali- ty,” told Capital Press via email. INTRODUCING THE Daily Capital Press A N E M A I L N E W S L E T T E R F E AT U R I N G T H AT D AY ’ S A G N E W S F R O M A R O U N D T H E N O RT H W E S T FREE WITH YOUR CAPITAL PRESS SUBSCRIPTION You don’t have to wait until Friday to get the latest Ag news and information. As part of your subscription, you’ll receive the Daily Capital Press in your inbox each Monday through Friday. It’s easy to get this additional benefit for subscribers. Simply activate your account at CapitalPress.com/cp/Activate and you’ll automatically receive the Daily Capital Press. 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