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U.S. potato growers, including big farms in Wisconsin, have again been snubbed by government officials who have kept fresh spuds off the list of approved foods for the federal Women, Infants and Children voucher system.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture expanded low-income families' access to produce and whole grains through the WIC program. The white potato continues to be the only fresh vegetable excluded, potato growers say, much to their disappointment.

Wisconsin grows 3 billion pounds of potatoes a year and is the No. 1 spud-producing state east of the Mississippi River. The industry was valued at $7 billion in the state last year, including sales and processing.

Since 2008, growers have fought to get white potatoes back on the list of WIC-approved foods — saying the nation's No. 1-selling vegetable has more vitamin C than an orange, more potassium than a banana and is cholesterol-free, fat-free and sodium-free.

You can use a WIC voucher to buy white potatoes at a farmers market but not at the grocery store. The WIC dollars also can be used to buy sweet potatoes and orange yams.

"It seems crazy. Fresh white potatoes are about the only thing in the produce department you cannot buy with a WIC voucher. It makes absolutely no scientific sense that we are being excluded," said Duane Maatz, executive director of the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association.

"This is a challenging issue for us because it sends a message to WIC households, and the children in those households, that fresh potatoes are a product they shouldn't buy," Maatz said.

Review planned

Sometime this year, the USDA is scheduled to launch a review of the list of approved foods in the Women, Infants and Children program. White potatoes have been excluded for the past six years, based on a recommendation from the Institute of Medicine that said spuds were already widely consumed, often in the form of french fries, and that vouchers would be better used for other vegetables.

One medium baked potato provides 15% of an individual's daily recommended fiber intake, but health experts say potatoes are often prepared in ways that increase their fat and calorie content.

The potato industry has urged Congress to persuade the USDA to put white potatoes back on the WIC approved foods list. Last year, the National Potato Council spent $185,000 in lobbying, and has said the WIC issue is an important priority.

"We have a list of elected officials supporting our position and sending letters to the Agriculture Secretary ... and we're still not getting him to move on this issue," Maatz said.

The decision should be based on science rather than lobbyist pressure, according to the National WIC Association, a nonprofit education and advocacy group.

"If Congress sends a signal that determining WIC foods is at their discretion, the door will fly open for other, potentially unhealthy foods, to be forced into the WIC food package," the association's website noted.

The USDA's decision to exclude white potatoes was based on old information, according to the potato industry.

A more recent government study showed that WIC program participants were deficient in key vitamins and minerals that potatoes provide, said Jerry Wright, president and chief executive officer of the United Potato Growers of America.

Keeping white potatoes off the approved foods list "is puzzling and actually completely inconsistent with all of the research that's been done by the USDA. It's very baffling and not a logically based decision," Wright said.

The Women, Infants and Children program is meant to provide supplemental nutrition assistance to low-income mothers and their infants and children up to age 5. Last year, the program served about 10 million women and children.

Should fresh white potatoes be put back on the list of WIC-approved foods, it wouldn't drastically alter the fortunes of potato growers. But it could help, especially given that spud consumption in the U.S. has declined over the past decade.

"I think there definitely would be a boost," Wright said.

Sales down

White potato sales are down from years ago for several reasons, including consumer tastes that now favor a wider variety of vegetables. And while potatoes are still prominent on restaurant menus, so are brussels sprouts, asparagus and other vegetables that many people previously weren't accustomed to eating.

"Consumers have a lot more choices, so the natural consequence is that potatoes have lost some penetration in the marketplace. We still have probably more than 70% of U.S. households with potatoes in them, but people don't eat them four or five times a week like they used to," Wright said.

U.S. potato production has increased 1.5% a year, even though fewer acres are being planted, as growers become more efficient. The industry has faced oversupply problems that have lowered prices.

Exports have helped some, but for a variety of reasons they're not a complete solution to supply issues.

"The fastest-growing part of the industry is exporting processed potatoes, basically french fries and tater tots, as well as dehydrated potatoes. But a significant amount of the U.S. crop is fresh and doesn't ship well," Wright said.

Production of corn, wheat, soybeans and other crops has increased overseas, sometimes resulting in a commodities glut that discourages U.S. exports and sends prices downward.

Food has become a global commodity. Farmers must be very aware of what's happening in international markets because supplies dictate prices, Wright said.

Wisconsin potatoes, grown mostly in the central part of the state near Plover and Stevens Point, are shipped nationwide and into large grocery store chains including Costco and Walmart.

The industry has promoted new food products and recipes meant to stimulate the appetite for spuds. Industry trade groups also have urged growers to not produce more potatoes than the marketplace can handle.

"As long as everybody keeps their production in check, and they have a place for their potatoes to go, everybody should be happy. We have to plant only what we can sell," said Eric Schroeder with Schroeder Bros. Farms in Antigo.