12/02/05 Governor leads Mexican trade mission

Governor Dirk Kempthorne will lead 68 people on a Mexican trade mission beginning tomorrow. The delegation represents two dozen businesses, trade groups and colleges who will spend seven days in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. Mexico is now the ninth largest importer of Idaho products but some producers think last year's 35.4 million dollar ag export number could go higher. Canyon County farmer Brent Zeyer is a member of the Idaho Bean Commission and he's going to Mexico to try to break a hole in the wall that prevents bean seed from being sold to Mexican growers. ZEYER "What is the deal? How come it's so hard for us to complete these transactions when both ends feel that it's needed to be done? Then the border is where we're having some hardship I think." Bean seed isn't the only Idaho ag commodity banned in Mexico. Idaho potatoes are allowed in but only in a 26 kilometer area along the border. The Idaho Potato Commission hopes to open talks with Mexico on allow imports into the entire country. Idaho onion growers will use the trade mission to try to boost Mexican sales that totaled about 2.74 million dollars last year. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott