Potato Board persistence during trucking dispute pays off in Mexico

Farm and Ranch Report August 31, 2011 During the two years it took the United States and Mexico to resolve a trucking dispute you might say the U.S. Potato Board just kept on trucking in Mexico.

Tariffs Mexico imposed on U.S. frozen potato products caused sales revenue to Mexico to drop by nearly half, with other exporters like Canada getting the business. The Potato Board’s Susan Weller says they knew it was important to keep going with their marketing and promotion programs.

Weller: “While this was going on we have been working hard with some of the big players in the market to help them launch new products, such as Burger King of Mexico. We worked with them to launch hash browns. We also worked with some other larger companies to launch other products.”

Weller credit’s the Potato Board’s work in Mexico for the rebound in U.S. frozen product sales as the tariffs have come down from an original 20 percent to now 2.5 percent.

Weller: “In marketing year 10, which goes from July 2010 to June of 2011, we actually had 35% percent increase for United State exports of frozen potatoes. “

Weller says the value of U.S. frozen exports during that time increased by 40 percent.

The remaining tariff of 2.5 percent is expected to come of in the next few months.

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.