12/09/05 Grants to promote Washington spuds

Farm and Ranch December 9, 2005 Two companies are receiving matching grant funds from the Washington State Potato Commission to help support business efforts to market Washington potato products overseas. The Commission's Director of Trade Matt Harris, says that a 10-thousand dollar processing grant has been awarded to a local company to help showcase Washington retail fries in supermarkets and hypermarkets throughout Thailand and Malaysia. A second grant of five-thousand dollars was awarded to a local fresh potato shed to help increase Washington fresh potato sales in Canada. Projects for both grants will start shortly. The Potato Commission has also announced that a grant application extension has been given to processors or shipper/packers for some other projects to increase the awareness of Washington State potatoes. Processed potato grant money is available for increasing processed product awareness in foreign markets with regard to frozen, dehydrated and chip potato products. Fresh potato grant money is also available to increase fresh product awareness of Washington State potatoes in foreign and domestic markets with regard to fresh potato products. The deadline to return applications for these grants is December 28, 2005. For an application or for more information about any of these grants, contact Matt Harris at 509-765-8845. That's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report. Brought to you in part by the Washington State Potato Commission. Nutrition today! Good health tomorrow! I'm Bob Hoff on the Northwest Ag Information Network.