“At this point in the year, we are getting ready to execute our plans for the 2025 storage crop,” said Eric Beck, director of marketing for the Idaho Falls, ID-based company. “Seed procurement, acreage planning, water mitigation, etc., have all been planned out and with the onset of spring on the approach, we’re getting ready to ‘get into the dirt’ and get started with the 2025 crop.”
The current Colorado storage crop, he noted, is yielding a positive customer experience.
“Movement, sizing, quality, etc., have all been positive this season,” Beck said. “As we breach the halfway point in the season, we speculate a continued positive experience from end to end in the supply chain.”
Wada Farms is coming off a year that Beck characterized as another year where the consumer was challenged with mitigating the inflationary pressures of rising food costs.
“In that journey, potatoes proved to be a viable and budget-friendly basket filler for many homes across the U.S.,” he said. “We continue to see consumers discovering and/or rediscovering the versatility, nutrition and value potatoes. This is a promising sign that demand for potatoes will continue forward.”
Wada Farms’ footprint in the segment remains viable, and the company continues to see promising growth opportunities across all potato category segments.
“Wada continues to expand our portfolio with new offerings such as ‘Smalls,’ a petite mini potato pack,” Beck said. “We have seen good growth in this part of the market with consumers rediscovering their love for potatoes and expanding their culinary prowess to make them a part of their everyday diet. Our growth strategy is simple — keep it simple and don’t over complicate what you’re providing to the end consumer. End of the day, they want a good quality product at an affordable price that yields a good eating experience.”
It’s just one of the things that keeps Wada in line with its customers. “A successful relationship is forged in shared vision and partnership to achieve a common goal,” Beck said. “Generally, this is providing end-to-end supply chain solutions with premium quality products at a fiscally fair value.”
As it looks to 2025, Wada doesn’t expect anything out of the norm from the usual challenges it is faced with each year.
“You’re always watching what the weather is doing, working to get the old crop moved and the new crop in the ground, get trucks moving all around the country, making sure to keep the supply chain full — they all are challenges, but ones we excel in taking on every day,” Beck said. “I love our team’s commitment to think outside of the box and provide solutions that help the bottom line. At the end of the day, making sure the customer has success is our success.”
