Potato Grower

38 Potato Grower | JUNE 2014 Lay It on the Table Do you know the markets for table-stock potatoes? According to USDA data, 119 mil- lion cwt. of potatoes grown in the United States in 2012 went to the fresh table- stock market. This was a 10 percent increase over 2010. USDA also reports that in 2012, the U.S. imported 6 million cwt. of fresh potatoes, though not all of these were for table-stock use. This was a 19 percent decline from 2010. USDA export figures show 9.5 million cwt. of fresh potatoes were exported in 2012, again some of these were for chipping and frozen processing, a 7 percent increase over 2010. According to the USPB Sales & Utilization report, total sales of table-stock potatoes in the U.S. in 2012 were 97.763 million cwt., a 4.7 percent decline from the 102.664 million cwt. sold in 2010. The majority of table-stock potatoes are still sold at retail, accounting for 57 percent of total sales in 2012, with the remainder being sold through foodservice. Sales in both sectors declined, but decline at retail was 7 percent, while at foodservice it was only 1.5 percent. Based on National Eating Trends (NET) research conducted by the NPD Group, aver- age in home fresh potato "eatings" in 2013 were 39.2. This was down from 41 in 2012. After significant declines through 2002 in in- home eatings, the figure, while fluctuating, has stabilized around 41 since 2004. In The Packer magazine's Fresh Trends Report for 2014, potatoes are the second most popular vegetable, with 72 percent of respondents reporting having bought them in the past 12 months. Interestingly, people 59 and older were the most likely to purchase potatoes at 83 percent, while those 21 to 39 were least likely at 62 per- cent. The Russet is still the most common- ly purchased at 43 percent, with reds at 17 percent, yellows and whites 12 percent, and purples and fingerlings at 1 percent, with 15 percent of people reporting no preference. Canada remains the largest export market for U.S. fresh potatoes at 57 per- cent of the total volume. It is important to note a large percentage of these potatoes are destined for chip or frozen process- ing. The second largest market is Mexico ,which received 1.725 million cwt. of fresh potatoes in 2013, the vast majority of which were for table-stock use. Taiwan and Malaysia are the third- and fourth- largest markets and are mixed table-stock and chip-stock markets. Exports to Taiwan vary based on the size of the local crop, but have still grown 100 percent in the past five years. Malaysia has limited local production, and U.S. exports have grown by an astounding 300 percent in the past five years. The U.S. has virtually 100 per- cent market share in Taiwan; however, in Malaysia, China dominates with an 83 percent market share. Increased market access for U.S. fresh potatoes to foreign markets will result in significant increases in exports in the future. The U.S. gained access to Vietnam in 2000, and exports have grown steadily ever since. The Philippines was just opened to exports of U.S. fresh table-stock potatoes in 2013, and the initial recep- tion to U.S. potatoes has been very good. The USPB continues to work with the National Potato Council on access for fresh potatoes to China, Indonesia and Japan. Access for U.S. fresh potatoes beyond the 26-kilometer border zone in Mexico will create a new market of close to 100 mil- lion people. Maintaining this access will be the responsibility of the entire industry moving forward. For more information visit the USPB International Table-Stock programs at www.uspotatoes.com/tableStock. PG FROM THE BOARD by John Toaspern, USPB Chief Marketing Officer Sprinkler Head Rebuilders LLC Rebuilt Sprinklers Rebuilt SR100's Rebuilt Levelers FOR SALE 208-543-6633 • 1-800-296-6633 1612 Main Buhl, Idaho 83316

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