Caterer seminar leads to U.S. dehy sales

Farm and Ranch Report March 16, 2011 Earlier this year the U.S. Potato Board held a seminar in the Philippines on U.S. dehydrated potatoes and it was aimed at a new segment of the market. Caterers. Theresa Kuwahara of the USPB says that’s one of the strategies of a long range plan, to increase the number of channels where dehy is included or utilized.

Kuwahara: “And so in the Philippines we had been working with the caterers and at the seminar we had a celebrity chef, Jill Sandique, and she helped us to conduct the seminar. And there she highlighted the cost-effectiveness and improved operational efficiency of a kitchen by using U.S. dehy in comparison to fresh local potatoes.”

Now the Potato Board itself cannot make sales, but Kuwahara says because of all the questions about price and where a product can be purchased that come up at seminars, importers and distributors are being invited to these events.

Kuwahara: “And we had actual caterers purchasing dehy immediately after the catering seminar. This is very exciting because we also had some importers and distributors on hand so they could connect directly with those caterers immediately following the seminar.”

In fiscal 2010 the Potato Board says exports of dehydrated potatoes were up 14 percent in volume and 19 percent in value.

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.