Vietnam Snack Manufacturers Choose U.S. Chip Stock

Vietnam Snack Manufacturers Choose U.S. Chip Stock

I’m KayDee Gilkey with the U.S. Potato Update.

Vietnam has one of the world’s fasting developing nations and approximately 25 percent of their population is under 25. New snack choices, like potato chips have become popular. This country is one of focuses of the United States Potato Board International Chip Stock Program. Its purpose is to convince foreign manufacturers to use U.S. chip stock.

USPB International Marketing Manager Sarah Mahler shares more about the activities that have involved Vietnam snack manufacturers to encourage their purchase and use of U.S. chip stock.

Mahler: “The U.S. Potato Board kicked off our chip stock program in Vietnam immediately following the opening of the market to US fresh potatoes in July 2010. To kick off the program we met with snack manufacturers. We invited Vietnamese manufacturers to the U.S. to join a reverse trade mission. We sent them sample shipments to test in the manufacturing facilities to see if our U.S. potatoes varieties would meet their needs. And we organized a trade mission for U.S. growers to visit manufacturers in Vietnam. As a result of our activities in the market, two out of the three major snack manufacturer have began purchasing U.S. chipping potatoes for production.”

This was the U.S. Potato Update brought to you by the United States Potato Board, maximizing return on grower investment. I’m KayDee Gilkey on the Northwest Ag Information Network.