|
| HEADLINES (Click on headline for full story): | January 25 , 2008 |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
INTRODUCING WWW.POTATOGOODNESS.COM -- THE NEW USPB CONSUMER WEBSITE The United States Potato Board (USPB) Public Relations team is excited to announce the redesign of the USPB consumer website. Created with the new "Potatoes...Goodness Unearthed™" campaign signature as a design driver, the USPB serves up a healthy dose of nutrition information, recipes, cooking videos, research...just about anything consumers need to love America's Favorite Vegetable even more! So, what was once www.healthypotato.com changes to www.potatogoodness.com. (Don't worry, visitors who link to www.healthypotato.com will be re-directed automatically.) We love that so many in the industry use this site as an additional tool in your marketing toolbox. So, build momentum behind the new industry nutrition campaign signature by replacing the old with the new website address on your e-mail signatures, website links and when you reference the site in customer/consumer communications. For any questions about the new website, please contact Meredith Myers, USPB Public Relations Manager at meredithm@uspotatoes.com. USPB LAUNCHES INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE POTATO
HEALTHY MR. POTATO HEAD® ENDS SUCCESSFUL THREE-YEAR RUN After a great three years of Healthy Mr. Potato Head helping the USPB help the industry get potatoes’ nutritional story out to consumers, the program is coming to a close. Over the three years, the parade, press and media coverage has been tremendous and supported overall USPB nutrition public relations efforts. The USPB does realize some packaging or signage using Healthy Mr. Potato Head is still in the market. For that reason, the USPB negotiated a one-year extension to the program “for retail aspects only”. The period covered is January 1 through December 31, 2008. This 12-month period should provide sufficient time to use up existing supplies. Also, as the industry moves forward into the next industry-wide campaign to communicate the nutritional benefits of the potato to the consumer through “Potatoes…Goodness Unearthed™”, the entire industry needs to support a single unified message. The USPB wishes to thank Hasbro and Healthy Mr. Potato Head for their support and look forward to an exciting and engaging new industry program. 2007 INTERNATIONAL SEED SYMPOSIUM & TOUR DELIVERS SALES Not only did the recent International Seed Symposium and Tour help build relationships between US growers and foreign importers and growers, but it also had a direct impact on sales. The 2007 Seed Tour was held August 1-4, 2007 and hosted delegates from Honduras, Uruguay, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Sri Lanka. During the visit, the international participants were divided into three groups to travel to Idaho, California or Maine & New York. As a result of the Seed Tour, the Uruguayan importers and growers that visited Maine and New York have purchased four containers of seed from both states and are looking at forward contracts. The Nicaraguans that traveled to California had previously purchased significant quantities of seed potatoes, and have purchased an additional 16 containers of seed potatoes from Idaho and California since the tour. The group from Sri Lanka has since made its first purchase of US seed potatoes out of Idaho. The Dominicans purchased an additional 16 containers and have plans to continue making purchases in coming months, while the Hondurans have imported an additional three containers of US seed potatoes. The interaction between international participants and US seed growers in their fields were critical catalysts for sales, as the tour is designed to provide an opportunity for international participants to gain a better understanding about the US seed potato industry and to meet US growers in person. Seeing US growing regions and operations during the growing season helps to instill confidence in US quality seed potatoes and creates long term relationships, key to creating these successes. EXPORTING? INTERESTED IN EXPORTING? MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE 2008 HONDURAS MARKET VISIT, FEBRUARY 17-22, 2008 February 18th -- Arrive in Honduras and meet with growers The purpose of the Honduran Market Visit is four-fold:
All US seed potato growers are invited to participate. Registration deadline is Friday, February 1, 2008. A limited number of grants are available that will cover up to 50% of the costs and will be reimbursed after the visit. For more information on the 2008 Honduras Market Visit, contact, Sarah Mahler, USPB International Marketing Manager at 303-873-2334 or sarah@uspotatoes.com. 2008 Honduras Market Visit.pdf USPB INITIATES FROZEN POTATO PROGRAM IN CENTRAL AMERICA As part of its continuing strategy to develop new market opportunities for US potatoes, the USPB has initiated a frozen potato program in Central America. Countries to be targeted include Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic. Effective January 1, 2008, TQ Marketing Consultants, based in San Jose, Costa Rica, will represent the USPB in this new marketing endeavor. Tatiana Quiros, head of TQ Marketing Consultants, is well-respected by both USDA officials, as well as other commodity boards working in the region. Quiros acquired her commodity marketing know-how by initially working for the US Foreign Agricultural Services and continues to conduct an array of Central American concentrated studies for a variety of agricultural cooperators. TQ Marketing Consultants presently represents both the Washington Apple Commission and the California Table Grape Commission with a team of six merchandisers positioned throughout the CAFTA countries. During the next six-months, contacts will be developed and the groundwork will be laid for the program. This effort will begin at the end of January with a program planning trip by the USPB International Marketing Manager for frozen potato products, Susan Weller, to the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica. The full market development program will get underway at the beginning of the new marketing year, in July 2008. The USPB is looking forward to working with US processors to fully exploit the opportunities in these emerging markets. DEHY POTATO “MOCHI” LAUNCHED IN NEW, NICHE SECTOR IN JAPAN! “Mochi” is a Japanese rice cake made of glutinous rice pounded into paste and molded into shape. In Japan it is traditionally made in a ceremony called mochitsuki. While eaten year-round, mochi is a traditional food for the Japanese New Year and commonly sold and eaten at that time. However, mochi is very sticky and somewhat tricky to eat. After each New Year, it is reported in the Japanese media how many people die from choking on mochi. The victims are usually elderly. Because it is so sticky, it is difficult to dislodge via the Heimlich maneuver. In December 2007, Shidax Corporation launched “potato mochi”, targeting those people who like mochi but can't chew and swallow original rice type. Shidax Corporation is a major company of karaoke, restaurants, and institutional foodservice, with approximately 3,155 employees and annual sales of $114 million. In 2006, Shidax, along with three other organizations, participated in a USPB-sponsored Dehy Menu Development project showcasing US dehydrated standard potato flakes and dehydrated diced potatoes. This project was designed to explore the potential of these two items in the catering and foodservice industry. 579 recipes were collected, with the participants with the winning two entries from each company invited to the US for a training mission. The US dehy industry asked the USPB to develop new channels for standard dehy products such as flakes. This launch is a direct result of the menu development project, US training mission, the USDA Quality Samples Program and developing local dehy supply through Japanese importers and distributors, representing net new business in a new channel with a common dehy product.
Potato Mochi
SOUP, THE ULTIMATE COMFORT FOOD........EVEN BETTER WITH US DEHY POTATOES! According to Susanne Myers’ article from EzineArticles.com, “when you’ve had a long day, or are fighting a nasty cold, there just isn’t anything better than a good cup of soup. There’s just something about a bowl of that warm liquid that makes you feel better no matter what happened.” Now, thousands of consumers in Korea and Mexico can take comfort with two new soups launched in the retail sector and made with delicious, nutritious, US dehydrated potatoes!!! E-Mart, the largest hypermarket chain in Korea with approximately 100 outlets, recently launched a private label soup, “Potato Soup with Crouton”. Manufactured by SB Foods, a medium sized food manufacturer with 40 years of experience in the industry, each box contains a dry soup mix and crouton packet. Just add water and the contents of the packets in a mug to enjoy a delicious, nutritious, quick, convenient potato soup!!!
This follows the November 2007 launch of “Potato and Lentil” soup, a new, refrigerated, and convenient “reheat and eat” item developed by Pulmuone and featured in the December 17, 2007 issue of “Industry Update”. These are great accomplishments, especially taking into consideration Korea has a 338% tariff on dehy above the 30 MT quota for flakes, flour, granules and pellets. If the Korea-US FTA is passed, it would mean the quota would increase to 5,000 MT in the first year. The potential for US dehy in the Korean market is outstanding! In Mexico, the largest dehy export market for the US, representing 3,656,794 cwt (fresh weight equivalent) of dehy exports, La Moderna launched a new, noodle soup nationwide. Two chains, GARIS, a regional chain with 28 outlets and Chedraui, a national chain with 96 outlets, are currently carrying the product. This soup includes US dehy dice, which is relatively new to the market and represents net new business. Development of this product started well over a year ago when the company was visited by the USPB technical engineers and dehy samples provided.
|
||||||||||||
©2007 United States Potato Board |
The General Assembly of the United Nations named 2008 the “International Year of the Potato”. To bring to life this 365-day potato celebration, the USPB recently conducted a series of live and taped TV and radio interviews. Celebrity chefs Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, authors of the Ultimate Potato Book, broadcasted from the United Nations International School in New York City, January 17th, with a diverse group of elementary-aged students at their sides to help cook. Weinstein and Scarbrough prepared Kootu Curry, an authentic dish from India, while explaining the worldwide appeal of the potato and its nutrition message. They even integrated the new US industry nutrition campaign signature, “Potatoes…Goodness Unearthed”, and the new consumer website: 
