GROUP of Chinese potato growers is eyeing Bohol to be a source of potatoes.

Shepherded by Carlson Chan, son of Ambassador Carlos Chan who President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo designated as Special Envoy to China , the group visited Bohol May 17-19.

Gov. Erico Aumentado immediately assembled Mayors Exuperio Lloren of Jagna, Myrna Schreurs of Garcia-Hernandez, Simplicio Maestrado Jr. of Sierra Bullones, Engr. Wilson Pajo of Pilar and Dr. Manuel Tan of Duero who sent a representative, as well as Provincial Agriculturist Liza Quirog for a working dinner at the Bohol Bee Farm. Quirog brought along a team of potato experts from the Bohol Agricultural Promotion Center headed by Engr. Eugene Cahiles to make the discussion substantive and extensive. To note, Aumentado had pooled these mayors at the Bohol Tropics Resort before where the Chans first broached the idea of potato growing.

Potatoes like cool climate but the type the Chans' company – Liwayway Marketing Corp. that manufactures the potato-based Oishi product line – is the small ones for making into chips in practically all flavors and variants. Aumentado chose the towns because the elevation of some of their barangays is conducive to growing plants that thrive best only in cool climate.

“Jagna has [Barangay] Mayana, Duero has Taytay, Garcia-Hernandez has Datag, Sierra Bullones has Cantaub while Pilar has Lundag,” the governor enumerated the likely places that may want to embark into massive potato planting. The Chans already gave the assurance that their need for potato is virtually limitless. Aside from the Philippines , the company has manufacturing plants in Vietnam, Myanmar, Hongkong and Shanghai with 12 across China.

The younger Chan had explained to the growers and to Liwayway's potato-sourcing in-charge that their Bohol trip is not merely a goodwill trip but primarily a working business trip. The team initially went to Datag and Mayana Friday to explore the potential for potatoes. Chan gave Aumentado a preliminary report that evening while Quirog has yet to submit her formal report, The team included Qui Da Cheng, Wang Jiu En, Zhao Jing Tai, Zhao Jing Cai, Lu Feng Chun, Xie Guang Xing and Chen Liang Yu.