MOSES LAKE -- The potential for competition from China is one of the top long-term concerns of Washington's potato growers and processors, the industry's state marketing agency has determined.

Changing consumer demographics, issues involving sustainable agriculture and natural resource management also were identified by the staff of the Washington State Potato Commission in Moses Lake as key issues, said Chris Voigt, executive director.

Reporting at the commission's long-range planning meeting last month in Pasco, Voigt noted that about half of Washington's potato crop is exported.

In 2005, potatoes ranked fourth in the state in terms of crop value at $534.6 million, trailing only apples ($1.23 billion), milk ($835.5 million) and cattle and calves ($601.3 million).

Washington is second only to Idaho in potato production nationally, and those two states combined with Oregon produce about 60 percent of the U.S. crop.

China has the capacity to become a world force in potato export markets despite significant challenges, include infrastructure, use of fertilizers and chemicals and transportation to bring crops to markets, Voigt said.

"We export about 50 percent of our crop overseas, and if all of a sudden China decides to become a big player in this industry, we essentially won't be able to export (that much)," Voigt said. "It'll be some competition."

For now, the commission will aggressively pursue further exports and new markets for Washington potatoes, Voigt said.

"Once we start seeing China develop their potato industry, we're going to have to take a step back and re-evaluate what the next steps are," he said.

In the United States, the top consumers of potatoes are households with children, and producers are concerned about what happens when children leave home for college, the military or employment, Voigt said.

"As our baby boomers become empty nesters, the biggest group of our best customers are now going to be some of our worst customers," Voigt said.

At the same time, baby boomers have more disposable income and tend to eat out more often, boosting opportunities for sales to restaurants and their suppliers but also raising other concerns, he said.

Several food service distributors have asked potato suppliers for a corporate stewardship policy on employee pay, environmental awareness and pesticide use.

"That is a concern for us because we don't want some guy in a cubicle making all these decisions, not knowing what it's like to farm," Voigt said. "We just need a seat at the table to say, 'A lot of these things that you're asking are possible. We can probably do them, but this is the added cost, or here are some of the tradeoffs.' "

For example, the use of herbicide can reduce reliance on tractors for tillage, and pesticide use could be cut in half if growers are able to use genetically modified potatoes that resist many common diseases.