Overseas markets grow for disease-free, pale-skinned spuds

By DAVE WILKINS

Capital Press

RUPERT, Idaho -- Russet potatoes dominate the North American spud market, but it's a different story almost everywhere else.

Just ask Randy Bauscher, an Idaho grower who has carved out a niche exporting seed potatoes.

"The rest of the world is not enamored with the Russet Burbank," Bauscher said during an interview at his farm near Rupert, Idaho.

In most countries, people prefer non-Russet potato types. Bauscher focuses on round yellow- and white-skinned spuds for export.

Most of his overseas shipments in recent years have been the Granola and Cal White varieties. The end use in almost all cases is the fresh market.

In the past decade or so Bauscher has probably visited 15 to 20 countries. Many of the trips have been on his own; others have been sponsored by the U.S. Potato Board.

On a shelf in Bauscher's office is a picture of him standing beside Fidel Castro as the Cuban leader signs a trade agreement in 2003 for Idaho seed potatoes. Unfortunately, nothing came of the deal.

Other photos show him on trade missions with Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter and other officials. Bauscher wears a wristwatch given to him by a friend in Panama.

Recent trips have taken him to Panama, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Brazil.

Certified disease-free seed potatoes can be a huge benefit for farmers in developing countries. Pest and disease pressures -- especially near the equator -- are much greater than in North America, he said.

While Bauscher has focused primarily on Latin America, he also has his sights set on Africa and Asia.

He started exporting to Sri Lanka about three years ago.

"We ended up shipping a lot to Sri Lanka this year," he said. "That market keeps growing."

Bauscher shipped seed potatoes to Haiti this year for the first time, and he's working on deals with buyers in Egypt and elsewhere in Africa.

Bauscher's seed potatoes are trucked to Southern California, where they're shipped out in refrigerated ocean containers from the Port of Long Beach.

Each container holds 50,000 to 55,000 pounds of potatoes.

"We always try to ship at least three containers at a time," he said. "The freight is cheaper that way."

Bauscher's early generation seed is grown under contract in greenhouses in Colorado and Wyoming. The seed he exports is G3, or the third field generation.

The United States is a new player in the seed potato export business, while the Netherlands has been at it for what seems like forever, Bauscher said.

"I think I'm the largest (U.S.) exporter, and I'm still doing a relatively small amount," he said.

In the receiving country, Bauscher's shipments may end up with dozens of different producers, some of them subsistence farmers with only a patch of ground.

Despite the potential rewards, exporting seed potatoes isn't for everyone. The spuds must be brushed clean of all soil and packaged into special bags that hold 110 pounds.

Exporters must adhere to a set of strict requirements that include securing import permits and phytosanitary certificates.

"There's a tremendous amount of paperwork and coordination between countries," Bauscher said.

Dealing with all the red tape probably isn't as daunting for Bauscher as it would be for the typical grower. He worked as manager of USDA Farm Service Agency (then known as the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service) offices in Benewah and Minidoka counties before starting to farm part-time in the late 1980s.

Today, Bauscher grows about 200 acres of seed potatoes between Rupert and Picabo, Idaho. It's only a small part of his overall farming operation, which includes commercial potatoes, sugar beets, peas, beans, barley, wheat and corn.

The seed export business, while small, has opened up a whole new world for Bauscher. It's led to exports of other products, including onions, fresh potatoes and farm equipment.

Bauscher said he's "treated like a king," on every visit with foreign buyers and is usually the guest of honor at a big meal.

He and his wife return the favor when buyers visit their Idaho farm.

Getting to know people of different cultural and religious backgrounds has been one of the most rewarding aspects of the business, Bauscher said.

"It's been real educational to see how other people live," he said. "I think there's something to learn from everyone."

Randy Bauscher

Age: 57

Family: He and his wife Mary have three grown children

Education: Bachelor's degree in business administration, Boise State University, 1975.

Hometown: Rupert, Idaho