Vietnam opens to fresh potatoes and market promotion gets underway

Potato Update July 7, 2010 In mid-June the United States and Vietnam reached an agreement to allow fresh U.S. potatoes, both chipping and table-stock, into the southeast Asian nation. Matt Lantz, a consultant for the United States Potato Board with Bryant Christie of Seattle, says the negotiations for market access with Vietnam only took two years.

Lantz: “Which is actually pretty good as far as a market access agreement is concerned. Some take much longer than that.” 10

Lantz credits the efforts of the USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service and the Foreign Agricultural Service in getting the agreement.

With access in place, the U.S. Potato Board is getting to right work this month to develop the fresh market in Vietnam. Sarah Mahler is a Manager of International Marketing with the USPB.

Mahler: “I think a lot of our initial interest will lie with retailers. That is a growing industry in the Vietnam market and we will be working primarily with the importers and distributors to bring the product in to introduce it to consumers and retailers.” 16

Vietnam’s population of 78 million has a rice-based diet but consultant Lantz is optimistic for U.S. potatoes.

Lantz: “There are potatoes. You see potatoes in the fresh markets in Vietnam and I think the quality of U.S. potatoes will do very well there, especially among upper-end consumers and the growing and expanding tourism market, and the large hotels that are growing in the market.” 17

That’s the U.S. Potato Update. Brought to you by the United States Potato Board. Maximizing return on grower investment. I’m Bob Hoff for Northwest Aginfo Net.