Market Minute: New crop Idaho potatoes ready for promotion
By
Ron Pelger
Market Minute: New crop Idaho potatoes ready for promotion
If you were to hold up a Russet potato in your hand and ask 10 people at random to identify the variety, how would they respond? Most would probably say it is an Idaho potato. That’s because most people often associate Russets with Idaho potatoes. It’s a common assumption.
It's also not uncommon to hear a person refer to an Idaho Russet as a baking potato even though this variety is well suited for mashing and other uses. Idaho Russet potatoes are also most popular for making French fries.
It's true, potatoes are a huge important part of the produce category. They deliver maximum sales volume to the overall profit dollar mix for produce. If promoted and merchandised very aggressively, potatoes can put produce budgets over the top. But the key word is "aggressive." A small conservative display will move very little product.
The new crop of Idaho Russet potatoes is excellent. The quality is outstanding with a good clean appearance. The volume is good on all sizes, and the markets are favorable for ad promotions.
“After an idyllic growing season, the quality of this year’s crop is the best I’ve seen in my 10 years in the industry," said Ross Johnson, vice president of retail at the Idaho Potato Commission in Eagle, ID. "Our growers are ready to offer a full line of Russet, red, yellow and petite potatoes. We are truly a one-stop shop.”
Now is the time to set up large aggressive displays of five- and 10-pound bags of Idaho potatoes along with wing displays of the loose count sizes.
Check with your Idaho potato suppliers for more information to plan an ad promotion. You can also go to the Idaho potato website for information on how to build a great retail ad.
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].