SNOWE, COLLINS SPEAK OUT FOR MAINE POTATO FARMERS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe and Susan M. Collins today urged U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Anne Veneman to ensure Maine's potato farmers are treated fairly as the Department establishes the regulations needed to begin the delivery of the recently enacted agriculture disaster assistance package. In a letter to Secretary Veneman, the Senators requested that all unmarketable potatoes in the 2004 crop qualify for the quality loss provision.

"While it will be some time before we know the full extent of losses for the 2004 crop, they are likely to be worse than experienced in 2003 and affecting even more growers," said Snowe and Collins in a joint statement. "It is vital that Maine's potato farmers – who help to make our country's food supply the best in the world – receive the aid they need."

Maine growers often do not harvest damaged crops knowing that they will either be unmarketable or will not keep in storage due to adverse weather or potato late blight conditions. Moreover, growers may harvest and store potatoes that appear healthy, but later deteriorate due to adverse weather or potato late blight. In either case, these harvested and unharvested potatoes are unmarketable and should both qualify for quality loss.