Educating the gatekeepers to foreign markets about U.S. frozen potato products

Farm and Ranch Report January 5, 2011 In its last fiscal year the U.S. Potato Board held 18 seminars in 11 countries for importers and distributors to educate them about U.S frozen potato products. The USPB’s Susan Weller, says the seminars covered a variety of topics.

Weller: “Some of those had to do with cold-chain. Some of them had to do versatility, trying to introduce them to new products, and some of them had to so with proper handling. And in the end we found that over 75% of participants demonstrated an increased knowledge of either knowing how to handle a new product or making sure the quality product from the U.S. was going to be handled properly in their countries.”

The seminars for importers and distributors continue this fiscal year and Weller explains why they are so important to foreign marketing.

Weller: “These guys are the gatekeepers. They are the ones who are actually the frontline people who are purchasing U.S. frozen potatoes. So without them and their cooperation and their partnership we are not going to be able to sell more U.S. frozen potato products.”

And Weller says the seminars work.

Weller: “And by having a seminar and showing them how they can introduce new products through new applications and new recipes for their customers we have seen increased usage.”

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.