Aspen has ‘good, healthy balance’ with Mexico trade
Aspen has ‘good, healthy balance’ with Mexico trade
Although shipments to Mexico reverted to the 26-kilometer zone in July 2014, Aspen Produce continues to see steady potato movement to receivers there, according to Sales Agent Michele Peterson and farm Operations Manager Jed Ellithorpe.
“It’s a good, healthy balance for us,” Peterson said of the volume going to Mexico. She said that russets and reds both are well-received by Mexican consumers.
Jed EllithorpeEllithorpe agreed, noting that while loads don’t go as far into the country as they were permitted for a short period in 2014, Aspen held
its own in outgoing volume after the reversion to 26 kilometers.
“It’s back to the way it was. We are not unhappy,” Ellithorpe said. The 26-kilometer buffer area accounts for 15-20 percent of Aspen sales, he said.
Peterson said that movement overall during the holidays was good, particularly cartons.
“It has been steady, and during the Thanksgiving period if we could have found enough trucks, all the warehouses would have had clear floors,” she said, adding that trucks were tighter than normal during the holiday season.
She said the market in January was “good right now,” and Ellithorpe said the San Luis Valley is positioned to sell all its potatoes.
“I think we lucked out somewhat because other areas are short,” he said. Colorado has seen production increases for specialties, reds and yellows while russets did not see big increases.
“We’re up in reds and yellows,” Ellithorpe said of Aspen, noting that “lots of yellows are available.”
Aspen offers russet Rio Grandes, Canelas, Mesas, Classics and Norkotahs, and those as well as the reds are available in consumer packs. The russets are shipped bulk, too.
Looking at the coming season, Ellithorpe said Aspen will plant varieties “more conducive to the retail market, and we’ll size our potatoes accordingly.”
“The planning we do now on the farm side will wind up being in the marketplace until August 2016,” he said. Looking at data collected over several years “gives us a good picture of what to do,” Ellithorpe added.
“There is growth in the red sector, but when that happens, acreage will typically outpace any demand, so we have to be cautious. The environment we’re working in makes it challenging to stick our necks out there.”
