U.S. fresh and seed potatoes were the first American produce products approved for importation into Myanmar under new rules for fresh horticulture products which required a formal plant health risk assessment, according to Potatoes USA.

USDA and Potatoes USA worked to submit the required documents and also met with the Myanmar plant health officials in person earlier in 2017, and as a result, the first shipment of U.S. chipping potatoes arrived in Myanmar last month.

The shipment was arranged by Potatoes USA and utilized Quality Samples Program funding from USDA. The container of approximately 25 tons was distributed among four local processing companies, most of which were small businesses. These processors, who regularly use local Myanmar potatoes, had been experiencing issues with inconsistent quality and size. Confident that U.S. chip-stock potatoes would result in a much higher quality product, the Potatoes USA Myanmar team arranged this trial shipment, according to the organization.

Each of the processors conducted product trials, and reported that U.S. potatoes produced chips that were far superior in terms of reduced waste, shape, color, oil absorption, etc., to those made from the local potatoes.

As a result of the product trials, several processors expressed interested in pursuing purchases of U.S. chip-stock potatoes. Potatoes USA mention that it will continue to work to facilitate this trade opportunity.