Saddle Up for Success at Potato Expo 2026 in Texas
January 7, 2026
Each year, the Potato Expo brings together growers, suppliers, and industry leaders from across the country and beyond. And this year is no exception in Dallas, Texas.
Kam Quarles, National Potato Council CEO says Potato Expo truly is a can’t-miss opportunity to reunite with the potato community, spark new ideas, and shape the future of the industry.
"It is," said Quarles. "We kick off the year every year with the Potato Expo. First time we've ever been in Dallas. We're going to have well over 2000 attendees here. We're really excited. You've got the entire supply chain. You've got attendees from over 30 countries. You've got suppliers, buyers, growers, and everyone under the sun who is part of not just the North American potato industry, but really the potato industry around the world. So it's pretty exciting."
On the policy front, he says the U.S. potato industry was disappointed with the Trump Administration’s recent Farmer Bridge Assistance Program which only allocated $1 billion to specialty crops while other commodities received $11 billion.
"Yeah, it was," said Quarles. "The administration I think to their being respectful of the situation that they're in. They don't have enough money to satisfy the need. They've really got to work with Congress. The money that they did have largely went to the program crops. The title one commodities, which does not include specialty crops, fruits and vegetables, we're working with the administration as well as the leaders of the House and Senate ad committees and appropriations committees to get a much larger package that will reflect the true need of not only the potato industry, but specialty crops and really, all of U.S. agriculture."
He says this is just another great example of why Farm Country needs a new Farm Bill instead of relying on outdated farm policy.
"It's incredibly important when you look back," said Quarles. "So, the last farm bill was signed in 2018, a lot of the writing of that began in 2016. We're now in 2026. So, the world has changed a great deal in the last ten years, and we're looking rather than looking forward with our farm policy. We're looking back a decade. And, I don't think that serves potatoes, specialty crops or U.S. agriculture broadly very well. We have to have farm policy on ag research, on trade, on nutrition. All of these really important, issues. We need to have farm policy that doesn't just reflect today, but out five, ten years in the future. We don't have that right now."
Potato Expo is hosted by the National Potato Council. NPC is proud to be the advocate for the economic well-being of U.S. potato growers on federal legislative, regulatory, environmental, and trade issues.
Learn more at www.nationalpotatocouncil.org.
Source: Western Ag Network
