Eagle Eye to feature full line at IFPA Foodservice Conference

Eagle Eye Produce will be featuring its line of potatoes, onions, mixed dry veg and melons at the IFPA Foodservice Conference in Monterey, CA, and in particular it is looking forward to touting its year-round supply of Idaho red, yellow and russet potatoes.

Coleman Oswald, director of sales for Eagle Eye Produce, said he is looking forward to a better potato crop and more stable supplies this upcoming season, owing in large part to favorable weather and improved growing conditions. While overall acreage is down in Idaho, the potatoes that have been planted are coming along well.

“Last year, we had a very hot and dry summer, which led to a reduction in yields and fewer No. 1 quality spuds, so outputs were lower,” he said. “When that happens, more product goes out the back door to processing and less goes out the front door into a finished box for fresh use.”

So far this year, said Oswald, growing conditions have been much better, with warm days, cool nights and better precipitation early in the growing season.

“We expect better yields and a higher percentage of the crop to be suitable for the fresh market,” said Oswald. “Last season, we were facing very active markets due to reduced yields and lower quality. With the upcoming crop, we anticipate supplies will remain tight, but are hopeful that we'll see better consistency and stability, which is great for us and our customers.”

One of the main points Oswald said he intends to promote at the IFPA Foodservice Conference is fact that Eagle Eye Produce offers Idaho red, yellow and russet potatoes on a year-round basis.

“This is a huge advantage for our customers, because we can be a one-stop shop for those that need it,” he said.

Additionally, Oswald said that Eagle Eye Produce offers a large asset-based fleet to handle transportation of its products, which is another big advantage.

“With logistics becoming more and more difficult these days, customers have been pushing for us to consolidate the loads in order to rely on fewer stops for trucks,” he said. “The fact that we can offer these three varieties on a year-round basis from a single region is really a big selling point for us, as is the fact that we can rely on our own equipment to deliver the product. We have continued to invest in our asset-based fleet, and we now have more than 80 tractor-trailers with more on the way."

Oswald said the upcoming IFPA Foodservice Conference is one that Eagle Eye looks forward to each year.

“It is definitely one of the best shows we attend, as we get great customer interaction and great bang for our buck,” he said. “We have supported this show from day one, and we plan to continuing to support it for years to come.”