Grant Received

Maine Potato Board Receives Research Grant

For Release: September 20, 2001

(Presque Isle, ME) ­ The Maine Potato Board has received a federal Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant for the construction of a Potato Storage Research Facility. EDA funding will be used for design, site development, and construction of the new facility.

As Maine potatoes reach competitive markets, consumers' increasingly stringent demands of the Maine potato industry require that all facets of potato production be continuously researched. This research will improve product quality and increase production efficiency. The new storage research facility will focus on storage management strategies for new and existing varieties of Maine potatoes.

Plans for the Potato Storage Research Facility will provide improved accessibility and capacity over current undersized storage lockers. The new facility will also allow for greater environmental control, which is critical to successful research. Currently, four separate locations are available for storage research, all of which have minimal environmental control and are in need of construction updates.

The importance of storage impacts all sectors of the industry, as Maine Potato Board Assistant Executive Director Don Flannery explained. "Storage impacts upon processing potato quality are critically important, especially as processed potatoes become a major segment of our industry," said Flannery. "The future growth of the Maine potato industry is heavily dependent on the global competitiveness of Maine's processing sector. Storage research is a huge component of our success. We are thrilled to receive EDA funding to pursue this critical project, and extend our thanks to Maine¹s Congressional Delegation for their support." Flannery also expressed his thanks to the Maine Department of Agriculture and the Maine Technology Institute for their funding toward the project, and to Northern Maine Development Commission (NMDC) for their assistance in securing EDA funding.

By improving product quality, the Potato Storage Research Facility will increase the competitiveness of Maine's potato industry as a whole. Not only will existing potato processors be able to manufacture a better product; the facility will enhance the region's ability to attract new processors.

Potatoes are the number one agricultural commodity in Maine, with sales of nearly $111 million, or some 22% of the state's total agricultural receipts. The EDA grant provides $664,000 for construction of the new facility. The Maine Department of Agriculture and the Maine Technology Institute will each provide $100,000 for the project, and the land will be provided by the University of Maine. Funding for operations and maintenance will continue to come from the Maine Potato Board and the University of Maine.

If you would like more information, please contact Don Flannery at (207) 769-5061, or by e-mail at flannery@mainepotatoes.com.