USPB FROZEN POTATO PROGRAM INCREASES DEMAND IN MEXICO

DENVER—(October 18, 2007) The United States Potato Board (USPB) increases demand for US frozen potato products in Mexico by reaching both trade and consumers. Trade is targeted through restaurant chain training and tailored seminars held in conjunction with the importer/distributors. Consumers are reached through restaurant and retail promotions, while both sectors benefit from the positive potato profile information distributed through the USPB public relations program.

In August alone, USPB engineers conducted 49 restaurant chain training sessions in Mexico City and Monterrey for quick service, family dinning and pub style restaurants. Ten tailored seminars were also held in Mexico City, Toluca and Monterrey for the El Arrabal, Piccolo Mondo and Papalote restaurant chains. Piccolo Mondo is a chain just starting to serve US frozen potatoes.

Retail promotions and tasting were conducted with Wal-Mart, Bodega Aurrera and HEB supermarkets. A total of 84 sampling days was achieved with these three retailers at their stores in northern Mexico.

The potato profile management program continued to provide healthy potato public relations with the issuance of a press release on Diabetes and Carbohydrate Consumption. During August there were five pick-ups of USPB press materials in different media from magazines to web sites. The magazine Cocina del Diario, a consumer cooking magazine published seven delicious USPB recipes, while the website Restaurantes de Mexico, a trade site, published a number of recipes using US potatoes.

By employing a well coordinated mix of consumer and trade demand building strategies, the USPB continues to deliver increased demand for US frozen potato products in Mexico and “Maximizing Return on Grower Investment”.

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David Fairbourn is Manager, Industry Communications & Policy, at the United States Potato Board in Denver. The mission of the USPB is to increase demand for potatoes and potato products through an integrated promotion program, thereby providing US producers with expanding markets for their production. David can be contacted at 303-369-7783 or david.fairbourn@uspotatoes.com. For complete information about the programs, ROI results, and resources and tools available to all members of the industry through the USPB, please visit www.uspotatoes.com. The United States Potato Board – “Maximizing Return on Grower Investment”.