Market Minute: An opportune time to promote potatoes, onions

Where did potatoes come from? Historians claim they originated in South America by the Incas some estimated 1,800 years ago. They were discovered there by Spanish explorers where the potato eventually made its way around the world.

Onions were traced back about 5,000 years ago in the Bronze Age where archaeologists believe they were discovered in central Asia. Early civilizations made onions an important part of their diet. The Romans introduced onions to the New World.

Today, potatoes and onions are a huge part of the produce sales and profit for retailers. The two are common in merchandising displays tied in with one another. Whenever a supermarket chain promotes potatoes in a produce ad, consumers are more likely to be drawn to those stores to do their shopping. When onions are tied in with the potatoes, it increases the customer traffic even more.

Potatoes out of most areas, especially from Idaho, are in good demand on a steady market. The product quality is excellent as expected. Idaho contributes about 33 percent of potatoes in the U.S.

Onions are also in good demand on a steady market with excellent quality as well. Did you know that 25 percent of the onions in the U.S. come from southwest Idaho and eastern Oregon? The quality is outstanding.

Since the potato and onion supplies are plentiful and timely right now, start setting up some large “muscle displays” on end caps, bins or free-standing units. Earn some high sales and profit from those displays.

Ron Pelger is a produce industry adviser and industry writer. He can be contacted at 775/843-2394 or by e-mail at [email protected].